Gareth O'Callaghan: The alarming consequences of Trump’s crackdown on media and democracy

As Trump silences Voice of America and cracks down on critics, is free speech in the US under threat?

People gather outside of a New York court to protest the arrest and detention of Mahmoud Khalil. Picture: Getty Images

There’s a famous saying that “radio waves know no borders; they transcend barriers and unite listeners around the world”. Radio has been a part of me since I was a young boy. It has taught me about life and impacted my imagination more than a formal education ever did. It is the ultimate storyteller to the theatre of the mind.

My love for radio began in earnest when I discovered shortwave radio, thanks to my old school friend Ray. We were both 11 years old, the year was 1972. Ray's father, who was an amateur radio enthusiast, had over the years converted their attic into a radio wonderland with all sorts and shapes of wireless gadgetry.