Libraries, Museums, the Free Press
By Sophie Utterback
On March 14, President Donald Trump signed an executive order titled “EO 14238: Continuing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy.” This is just one of many executive orders that he’s signed in the past months, but it’s one that needs to be brought to attention. This executive order destroys multiple government agencies, including but not limited to: The U.S. Agency for Global Media, which oversees government-funded news outlets, The Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars in the Smithsonian Institution, and the Institute of Museum and Library Services , which funds grants to libraries and museums across the country. This targeted attack on news outlets, libraries and museums is strategic and has the potential to have devastating effects on our communities.
I don’t like to beat around the bush. I don’t like to mince words. I look at what this executive order has done and I see America’s values going down the drain. For most of my life I was told that our country values education, we value free press, and we value our youth. But when reading EO 14238, I was struck with the realization that I was lied to. Actions speak louder than words, and all I can hear is that it isn't “freedom and justice for all” like I said every school day for 13 years. This executive order has the potential to strip us of three of the most valuable things we have as a country: libraries, museums, and a free press.
Libraries are an excellent source of free information that have been under attack for many years. They are not only a source for books and movies, but they also give internet access to many people who don’t have it. This is important for high school and college students who can’t access the internet reliably or don’t have a computer. Libraries are an excellent place to find academic papers and records. As malls and movie theatres continue to close, libraries are left as one of the last remaining third spaces for young people in America. As a student, I use the library (both the school and public ones) regularly. They’ve helped me find sources for papers I need to write for class, they’ve given me access to books I needed without having to go and buy them, and they’re an excellent place to study. Without the grants given to them by the IMLS, it will be considerably harder for them to stay open and available.
Museums serve much of the same purpose. While not all of them are free, they still provide a way to get information that you wouldn’t get in a classroom setting. The Anchorage Museum provides multiple exhibits ranging from Alaska Native history to the science of volcanoes. The attached Imaginarium provides a place for children to learn about our world in a fun way. Many elementary schools take yearly field trips to museums, allowing students to learn outside of the classroom in a hands-on setting. When I was in elementary school, the museum field trips were one of the most looked forward to events of the school year and an exciting time for the whole class. They also often hold rotating exhibits showcasing various moments in history. They are an important space for education and personal growth. With the recent abolishment of the Department of Education, museums are more important than ever.
The US Agency for Global Media (USAGM) supervises the Voice of America (VOA), one of the biggest news outlets not just in the United States but also internationally. The slashed funding for the USAGM puts government-funded media agencies at risk of elimination. We live in a time where fake news runs rampant and many news outlets twist information to fit their narrative. Reliable news sources are very important in this era. Artificial intelligence makes it so easy to fake proof where there isn’t any. If the USAGM loses funding, these reliable sources will be put at risk. You can say what you want about the government and how trustworthy it is, but the reality is that many people rely on federal media outlets for their information.