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Donald Trump has repeatedly denounced certain newspapers and news networks as "fake news" and "the enemy of the people." He has called reporters "dishonest." He has banned certain reporters from press conferences. And, even though he has no power to do so, he has threatened to revoke stations' broadcast licenses.
In February 2017, Senator John McCain said attacking the free press is one of the first steps a newly-empowered dictator takes. Indeed. Mao, Stalin, Hitler, Mussolini, Castro, Karimov, Afewerki, Qaddafi, Kim Jong Un and many others have waged war on the press. Trump is doing the same but the free press is starting to fight back. On August 16, more than a hundred newspapers nationwide will publish editorials on the importance of a free and independent press.
With the Boston Globe leading the way, US newspaper editorials will battle the Trump administration's 'assault on the press'
https://ktla.com/2018/08/11/with-bos...-on-the-press/
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Trump supporters who are swayed by Trump's never-ending attacks on the news media -- "Fake!" "Dishonest!" "Enemy of the people!" -- have begun cursing at reporters and making obscene gestures. They're one step away from physically assaulting reporters, not just in the US but worldwide.
UN human rights commissioner says Trump's attacks on news media are likely to lead to violence against journalists
https://nypost.com/2018/08/13/trumps...ournalists-un/
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Here is an update on the August 12 story above. Many radio and tv stations and around 350 newspapers will run editorials tomorrow supporting the free press and denouncing Trump's attacks on the news media. What is truly alarming is that 51% of Republicans now share Trump's opinion that the news media are "the enemy of the people." It is not only the news media that Trump and the Republicans are attacking. They are also attacking the United States Constitution, which declares, "Congress shall make no law ... abridging freedom of speech or of the press..."
Coast to coast and in between, local news media are standing up to Trump's attacks on the press
https://money.cnn.com/2018/08/15/med...ump/index.html
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Very predictably, Donald Trump took to Twitter today to again attack "fake news" and to accuse the Boston Globe of "collusion" for encouraging the nation's newspapers to run editorials affirming freedom of the press and denouncing Trump's attacks. Congressional Republicans may agree with Trump that the news media are the "enemy of the people" but I notice they didn't dare vote against this resolution:
Senate unanimously adopts resolution declaring 'the press is not the enemy of the people'
CBS News, Aug 16 2018 2:37 PM
The Senate unanimously passed a resolution today affirming that "the press is not the enemy of the people." President Trump has repeatedly declared that the "fake news" media is the "enemy of the people." The resolution, introduced by Democratic Senator Brian Schatz of Hawaii, passed without objection by a voice vote.
"Resolved, that the Senate affirms that the press is not the enemy of the people; reaffirms the vital and indispensable role that the free press serves to inform the electorate, uncover the truth, act as a check on the inherent power of the government, further national discourse and debate, and otherwise advance the most basic and cherished democratic norms and freedoms of the United States; and condemns the attacks on the institution of the free press and views efforts to systematically undermine the credibility of the press as an attack on the democratic institutions of the United States," the resolution reads, without naming President Trump.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/senate-...of-the-people/
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Here is a story that quotes some of the editorials about freedom of the press. The president needs to quit calling newspapers fake news every time they print something he does not like.
http://time.com/5369061/president-tr...ess-fake-news/
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Earlier this week, CNN, MSNBC, RT and BBC World News spent many hours reporting on the conviction of Trump's former campaign manager and the guilty pleas of Trump's longtime attorney. Fox News barely mentioned the stories -- but, hey, look how Trump is creating jobs and look how the economy is booming under Trump! Is it any wonder Trump's favorite channel is Fox News?
Second Fox News reporter leaves amid objections to network
In the Trump era, hard reporting is being crowded out by opinionated panels.
Politico, Aug 23 2018 11:37 PM
Another on-air reporter is leaving Fox News over frustrations with the direction and tone of the network, the second in the last three weeks to defect for those reasons. Adam Housley, a Los Angeles-based reporter who joined Fox in 2001, felt there was diminished opportunity at the network for reporters and disapproved of the tenor of its on-air discussion, according to two former Fox News employees with knowledge of his situation.
Housley believed that as the network’s focus on Trump has grown — and the number of talking-head panels during news shows proliferated — it had become difficult to get hard reporting on air. "He’s not doing the type of journalism he wants to be doing," the former employee said. "And he is unhappy with the tone of the conversation of the channel." Housley’s objections to the Trump-era Fox News are widely shared within the network’s reporting corps, according to current and former employees of the network. Conor Powell, the former Fox News Jerusalem bureau reporter, left the network earlier this month for similar reasons,
https://www.politico.com/story/2018/...housley-795278
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In January, Trump imposed tariffs of as high as 20% on newsprint imported from Canada. To cover the additional expense, regional newspapers were forced to lay off employees, raise subscription prices or publish fewer days per week. A US trade commission just overturned the tariffs. Newspapers are dealing with steadily declining readership and declining ad sales and didn't need the added problem of being victimized by Donald Trump's trade wars.
Trump's tariffs on Canadian newsprimt are overturned
https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/29/b...newsprint.html
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A 68-year-old man who owns 20 guns, which have now been seized by authorities, made 14 threatening phone calls to the Boston Globe. Using language I wouldn't dare repeat here, he said he would kill everyone in the newsroom. Echoing Trump's constant attacks on the news media, he called the newspaper "the enemy of the people." Not only is Trump dangerous, many of his followers are dangerous!
Man charged with making death threats against Boston Globe journalists over Trump editiorials
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/robert-...ts-editorials/
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The weekly news magazine Time began publishing in 1923 and at its peak had 26,000,000 subscribers worldwide. In 2018, Time has only 2,300,000 subscribers and is published only 44 times a year. Marc and Lynne Benioff obviously think the magazine has a strong future.
Marc Benioff, co-founder of Salesforce, buys Time magazine
CBS News, Sep 17 2018
Meredith Corporation is selling Time magazine for $190 million in cash to Marc Benioff, one of four co-founders of Salesforce, and his wife Lynne. Benioff is a cloud computing pioneer and an executive known for social activism. The Benioffs will not be involved in the day-to-day operations or journalistic decisions at Time. Those decisions will continue to be made by Time's current executive leadership team.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/marc-be...time-magazine/
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Like father, like son. Donald Trump Jr. today tweeted several nasty insults and accusations regarding Anderson Cooper's on-scene reports of the damage caused by Hurricane Florence in North Carolina. One accusation: Anderson was on his knees to make the flood waters appear higher than they really were. Junior also tweeted a picture of Anderson standing in the flood water.
The photo was actually of Anderson reporting on Hurricane Ike in 2008.
Because Junior's tweets were so nasty and so wrong -- and elicited so many comments of "Disgraceful!" and "Fake news!" -- Anderson, who usually does not respond to idiotic allegations, used a portion of his CNN program to debunk Junior's lies:
Anderson Cooper shuts down Trump Jr.'s lie
https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/...kth-sot-ac.cnn
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Kevin Jackson is the author of The BIG Black Lie and the host of the syndicated talk program The Black Sphere. Until this afternoon, he was also a frequent contributor to Fox News. He was fired for what he said on Twitter about the three women who say they were sexually abused by Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh:
"Kevin Jackson
@KevinJacksonTBS
Feminists are their own worst enemies and enemy of women. Also, they want men to NEVER be believed. I'm not succumbing. TO HELL with the notion that women must be believed no matter what. Lying skanks is what these 3 women are, and we ALL know more. #TeamKJ"
Salem Media Group, a conservative "family values" company which owns 117 radio stations and provides programming to 2,400 stations nationwide, syndicates Kevin Jackson's talk show.....but I wonder for how much longer.
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The all-news channel CNN2 launched in 1982 and was renamed Headline News in 1983. In 2005, the channel started running a lot of crime shows and entertainment programs and three years later rebranded as HLN. Today, HLN canceled three hour-long news programs. But don't worry -- you can still see all those 20-year-old episodes of Forensic Files.
HLN shake-up: Ashley Banfield, Carol Costello, Michaela Pereira exiting
https://www.msn.com/en-us/tv/news/hl...tASI?ocid=AMZN
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Fox News hosts -- also known as the Donald Trump Cheerleading Squad -- don't even pretend to be objective. Trump comes first and journalistic integrity is a distant second. Sean Hannity and Jeanine Pirro joined Trump on stage last night in Missouri to campaign for Republicans. (Hannity had tweeted that he would not be on stage with Trump. He lied.) Many news network staffers, including several at Fox News, believe Hannity and Pirro crossed a line. And of course Hannity denounced the news crews covering the rally, calling them "fake news" just like Trump does. By the way, one of the news crews was from Fox.
'It disturbs me to my core': Fox News staffers express outrage over Sean Hannity's rally appearance
https://www.cnn.com/2018/11/06/media...lly/index.html
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The squawking orange parrot's attacks on the news media -- "Fake news! Fake news! Enemy of the people! Awwwkkk!" -- continue unabated.
CNN's Jim Acosta denied entry to White House
CBS News, Nov 7 2018 8:45 PM ET
The White House suspended CNN reporter Jim Acosta's press pass today, hours after he sparred with President Trump at a press briefing. Acosta posted a video on Twitter showing him being denied entry. Earlier today, Acosta had questioned MTrump on his rhetoric on the caravan moving toward the US border. Trump grew angry with Acosta and tried to move on to another question. A White House intern came to take Acosta's microphone but Acosta moved away and said "Pardon me, ma'am" and tried to continue questioning. Trump refused to answer, then called Acosta "a rude, terrible person." Trump said, "You should be ashamed of yourself. The way you treat Sarah Huckabee is horrible. When you report fake news, as CNN does a lot, you are an enemy of the people."
The White House said it was suspending Acosta's "hard pass," which allows him press access to the White House, because it will "never tolerate a reporter placing his hands on a young woman just trying to do her job as a White House intern." But video recorded at the press briefing shows Acosta putting his arm on top of hers as she tried to take the microphone away from him. It appeared to be an accident since he said, "Pardon me, ma'am" and moved away from her. Acosta tweeted the White House's statement was a "lie."
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/jim-aco...ay-2018-11-07/
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The White House suspended Jim Acosta's press pass. Sarah Huckabee Sanders accused Acosta of "unacceptable conduct" for placing his hands on a female White House intern who tried to take a microphone from him. Thanks to photos, videos and eyewitness accounts, we know Sanders was lying. Sanders also lied when she said Trump "believes in a free press." He does not. He continually calls it "fake news" and "the enemy of the American people." He even did so today.
Dan Rather said the suspension of Acosta's press pass is not just an attack on one journalist; it's an attack on the free press. Laura Bassett, noting that Trump has been accused of sexual assault by more than a dozen women, told Sanders to "please spare us the false outrage." CNN denounced Sanders' "fraudulent accusations," saying, "This unprecedented decision is a threat to our democracy and the country deserves better. Jim Acosta has our full support."
White House hit with backlash after suspending press pass of CNN's Jim Acosta
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...sQ6w?ocid=AMZN
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Sarah Sanders has tweeted a video that first appeared on the alt-right, conspiracy-story-spreading site InfoWars. Portions were sped up and Acosta's "Pardon me, ma'am" was edited out. Rather than admit the accusation against Acosta was false, the White House is choosing to disseminate a false, doctored video. A CNN executive said the doctored video is "actual fake news." Indeed it is.
White House shares doctored video to support punishment of journalist Jim Acosta
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...uaAo?ocid=AMZN
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A racist, sexist, bigoted, misogynistic, right-wing Trump supporter and Fox News host who constantly attacks liberals is now upset with a group of liberals for fighting back. But hey, Tucker, just think of how you can gain the sympathy of other right-wingers by milking this story for several days! And remember, Trump will be watching.
Protesters descend on home of Fox News' Tucker Carlson
Newsweek, Nov 8 2018
Smash Racism DC, a group that says it campaigns against fascism, turned up at the home of Fox News presenter Tucker Carlson, chanting that he leave town. The group posted video on Twitter of them ringing the doorbell at his Washington DC house. One person shouts through a megaphone: "Your policies promote hate and we want you to know we know where you sleep at night." The crowd then begins chanting "Tucker Carlson, we will fight! We know where you sleep at night!"
The video has since been taken down by but it carried a caption describing Carlson as a "racist, sexist, bigoted Fox News personality." Carlson's wife was home alone and heard the noise from the kitchen. She called the police and locked herself in a pantry.
Twitter has suspended the account of Smash Racism DC, which had published Carlson's address. Carlson is famed for his abrasive presenting style and for exemplifying the right-of-center views for which his channel is renowned. Recently, Carlson said that he is no longer able to dine out in restaurants because people shout insults at him.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...tkqt?ocid=AMZN
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Trump does not like blacks, Trump does not like females and Trump does not like reporters so it logically follows that he would really detest black female reporters.
Backlash after Trump assails three black female reporters
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/polit...wK9B?ocid=AMZN
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Letter from Carol Ann Wiley of Palm Desert in today's Los Angeles Times:
"What if Trump had a news conference and no one showed up? Why do proffessional journalists need to be humiliated, characterized as 'the enemy of the people,' disrespected and ordered to 'be quiet' and called 'rude and terrible' people? I fail to understand why these men and women do not just walk out. After all, we hear the same lies and denials every time this man speaks to the media. Why even bother to show up just to listen to another one of his temper tantrums? Trump should apologize to our hardworking journalists."
I feel compelled to point out that "temper tantrum" is a redundancy -- and Trump never apologizes to anyone for anything.
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Sarah Sanders said Acosta "laid his hands on" a White House intern. Video and several eyewitnesses confirmed she was lying. She compounded the lie with the release of a doctored video. Today her story has changed: Acosta merely "refused to surrender" the microphone to the intern. And for that, his credentials are revoked? Sanders also mentioned the First Amendment -- as if she and Trump care about the First Amendment. They don't.
CNN files lawsuit against Trump administration, demanding return of Jim Acosta's White House credentials
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cnn-fil...e-credentials/