The article argues that the free press faces a new threat, not just from traditional censorship, but from information fragmentation, exacerbated by artificial intelligence and resurgent authoritarianism.

• The author draws a parallel between the pre-written realities of the Soviet Union and today's information environment, where an excess of information, rather than scarcity, can suppress truth.
• Institutions capable of connecting fragmented information are facing increasing political and regulatory pressure, weakening the shared reality a free press depends on.
• The article calls for alliances across disciplines and borders to build "tunnels" that connect fragmented information and prevent press freedom from becoming "the freedom to publish into the void."