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Free press isn't free under White House's onerous rules (Editorial)
Muzzling the press is chapter one in the authoritarian ruler's playbook. By the Founders' design, the president of the United States is not a king or dictator. He doesn't control the media, or get to decide which reporters are assigned to cover him.
A free press isn't free if the government imposes rules on what reporters can ask and how they must ask it. That violates the First Amendment. Period.
Banning reporters from asking follow-up questions or challenging the president's statements, under threat of taking away their access to the White House, hobbles the watchdog function of the media. White House reporters will be looking over their shoulders, calibrating the consequences, every time they ask tough questions. Meanwhile, the president will be able to dodge accountability and lie to the American people with even more impunity.
(Score: 5, Informative) by edIII on Friday November 23 2018, @11:38PM (2 children)
There isn't a requirement, because we haven't had such a disreputable human being and tyrant in the White House yet. Please, your position here is mostly based on tribalism. Like how easy you're willing to take it on Ivanka, even though she repeated the same damn mistake that Hillary did, and Orange Anus won't even give up his phones with the U.S intelligence agencies directly telling him that they're tapped by enemies. I believe the Clinton's are crooked as shit, but I also believe the Trump's are in competition with them to see who can be more crooked.
Crossing a line? You mean like calling this shithead out on his lies? Calling him out on his policies? Calling him out when he barfs up some word salad and we need further explanation and context on? Crossing a line by keeping people in power accountable to we the people?
It's not like Trump didn't declare war first, without ever providing proof a bad behavior, on the MSM. No, he doesn't get to act like you or me, he was put in the position of President. They need to deal with tough questions by the press, not continually demonize them, talk over them, and refuse to answer the tough questions. We both know there hasn't been a real interview. Just softball'd interviews with Fox News, which isn't even a real news agency (admitted by themselves). So when Acosta repeteadly asks a question that Trump is clearly dodging, he IS doing the job of the press. Nothing fake-newsy about the behavior of that reporter.
That was why he was banned. He stands up to Trump and his propagandist bullshit that peddles fear and hate. Nothing proves that more than the fact we don't hear about the caravan anymore. He only bitched long enough to make it an issue during the midterm elections, and now that it is over with, he couldn't give a shit. Neither does Fox News, or any other White Nationalist propaganda outlet. That's what Trump hates; People that get in the way of his really really great narrative, that other people are saying is great, with such offensive things like facts and the search for the truth.
We both know if it was Hannity being banned from the White House during the Obama administration that your tune would be completely different. It's like Thexalon says, arguments about state rights are entirely dependent upon whether or not people are in agreement with the state being the good guy, or the feds. Never about the real principle at work, just the tribalism.
Technically, lunchtime is at any moment. It's just a wave function.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Runaway1956 on Saturday November 24 2018, @12:10AM
Mostly, I see your own flavor of tribalism in your post. But, let's take this:
In actuality, Trump was one of MSM's golden boys, when he was doing that moronic television show. And he stayed golden, right up until he entered a presidential race that would put him in opposition to Hillary. Before the first debate, almost before the first polls, MSM went on the attack. "Oh, he'll never beat Cruz" "He'll never even beat Carson." On and on it went, with MSM casting Trump in the worst light, constantly predicting his failure.
And, when he emerged as the victor in the nomination game, MSM really opened up on him.
From the day he declared his candidacy in the race against Hillary, MSM hasn't had a single good word to say about Trump. Only Fox will say things that aren't outright derogatory about him.
I listened to my favorite radio talk show hosts (who are libertarians) making fun of MSM all through 2015. "The best thing MSM can do for Trump, is to continue lying about him, and badmouthing him. Everything they say he can't do, he does it. I don't know why they don't just shut up, and ignore him, and let people forget about him." Or, words very much to that effect.
(Score: 2, Touché) by ChrisMaple on Monday November 26 2018, @12:11AM
Andrew Jackson: Murderer and slave beater.
Bill Clinton: Rapist.
Barack Obama: Dog eater, supporter of communists and Islamists.
FDR, Truman: communist sympathizers.
So many Presidents have cheated on their wives that I can't keep track.