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posted by martyb on Friday November 23 2018, @07:35PM   Printer-friendly
from the disinvite dept.

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.


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  • (Score: 2) by DeathMonkey on Saturday November 24 2018, @06:18PM (1 child)

    by DeathMonkey (1380) on Saturday November 24 2018, @06:18PM (#765938) Journal

    The hypocrisy is freaking the hell out when Obama merely contemplated banning a reporter (but decided against).

    And then defending Trump when he actually bans a reporter.

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  • (Score: 1) by ChrisMaple on Monday November 26 2018, @12:17AM

    by ChrisMaple (6964) on Monday November 26 2018, @12:17AM (#766323)
    The Obama administration imprisoned a reporter.