During a commercial break late in the fourth quarter of Sunday’s Super Bowl match-up between the New England Patriots and the Los Angeles Rams, The Washington Post aired a one-minute commercial narrated by actor Tom Hanks touting the role of journalists.
“When we go off to war, when we exercise our rights, when we soar to our greatest heights, when we mourn and pray, when our neighbors are at risk, when our nation is threatened — there’s someone to gather the facts, to bring you the story — no matter the cost because knowing empowers us,” Hanks said. “Knowing helps us decide, knowing keeps us free.”
As Hanks wraps up the monologue, the words “Democracy Dies in Darkness” appear on the screen.
Featured in the commercial were clips of CNN’s Anderson Cooper, Fox News Channel’s Bret Baier, and the late Jamal Khashoggi, a Post columnist who was allegedly murdered at a Saudi consulate in Turkey.
Some estimates had the Post spending as much as $10 million for the spot.
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