Managing editors like Kahn may believe they’ll get to keep their well-paid jobs if they just toe the party line, but establishmentarian business as usual won’t be enough. As the regime consolidates power, the owners of the outlets will be pressured to appoint the autocrat’s more reliable supporters in their places. That’s the best-case scenario for them, although guys like Kahn are too craven to talk themselves into the gulag.
As we’ve seen in Russia, the modern fascist doesn’t clumsily shut down outlets that compete with state media; instead he co-opts all outlets by putting his own loyal minions in positions of power at every one, in order to maintain the illusion of dissenting opinions. Self-censorship quickly follows.
The occasional shut-down (really more a harassing out of business) only comes when an outlet believes it’s still independent and dares to question the regime. We saw this happen shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine.
