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Press Corps to President-Elect Trump: Rules Are Ours to Set--Not Yours
"When you shout down or ignore a reporter at a press conference who has said something you don't like, you're going to face a unified front," letter warns media-hostile Trump
Jan 18, 2017
As Donald Trump prepares to take office, the U.S. press corps has offered the president-elect--whose relationship with the media is dicey at best--"a backgrounder on what to expect from us over the next four years."
The open letter published Tuesday at the Columbia Journalism Review (CJR) reminds Trump that cracking down on access won't stop the media from doing its job: "We are very good at finding alternative ways to get information; indeed, some of the best reporting during the campaign came from news organizations that were banned from your rallies," it reads.
The letter, penned by CJR editor-in-chief and publisher Kyle Pope, also warns Trump that "off the record and other ground rules are ours--not yours--to set" and that "we decide how much airtime to give your spokespeople and surrogates."
And it vows:
We're going to work together. You have tried to divide us and use reporters' deep competitive streaks to cause family fights. Those days are ending. We now recognize that the challenge of covering you requires that we cooperate and help one another whenever possible. So, when you shout down or ignore a reporter at a press conference who has said something you don't like, you're going to face a unified front. We'll work together on stories when it makes sense, and make sure the world hears when our colleagues write stories of importance. We will, of course, still have disagreements, and even important debates, about ethics or taste or fair comment. But those debates will be ours to begin and end.
The letter cites multiples examples of Trump's hostility toward the fourth estate, including his shouting matches with journalists, having banned members of the media from his rallies, blasting specific news outlets on Twitter, and threatening to loosen libel laws "so when they write purposely negative and horrible and false articles, we can sue them and win lots of money."
Just this week, there was considerable media outcry after news reports suggested the Trump team was thinking of moving the press corps--referred to as the "opposition party"--out of the White House. Echoing Pope's letter, CBS News chief White House correspondent Major Garrett had this to say in response:
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
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Deirdre Fulton
Deirdre Fulton is a former Common Dreams senior editor and staff writer. Previously she worked as an editor and writer for the Portland Phoenix and the Boston Phoenix, where she was honored by the New England Press Association and the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. A Boston University graduate, Deirdre is a co-founder of the Maine-based Lorem Ipsum Theater Collective and the PortFringe theater festival. She writes young adult fiction in her spare time.
As Donald Trump prepares to take office, the U.S. press corps has offered the president-elect--whose relationship with the media is dicey at best--"a backgrounder on what to expect from us over the next four years."
The open letter published Tuesday at the Columbia Journalism Review (CJR) reminds Trump that cracking down on access won't stop the media from doing its job: "We are very good at finding alternative ways to get information; indeed, some of the best reporting during the campaign came from news organizations that were banned from your rallies," it reads.
The letter, penned by CJR editor-in-chief and publisher Kyle Pope, also warns Trump that "off the record and other ground rules are ours--not yours--to set" and that "we decide how much airtime to give your spokespeople and surrogates."
And it vows:
We're going to work together. You have tried to divide us and use reporters' deep competitive streaks to cause family fights. Those days are ending. We now recognize that the challenge of covering you requires that we cooperate and help one another whenever possible. So, when you shout down or ignore a reporter at a press conference who has said something you don't like, you're going to face a unified front. We'll work together on stories when it makes sense, and make sure the world hears when our colleagues write stories of importance. We will, of course, still have disagreements, and even important debates, about ethics or taste or fair comment. But those debates will be ours to begin and end.
The letter cites multiples examples of Trump's hostility toward the fourth estate, including his shouting matches with journalists, having banned members of the media from his rallies, blasting specific news outlets on Twitter, and threatening to loosen libel laws "so when they write purposely negative and horrible and false articles, we can sue them and win lots of money."
Just this week, there was considerable media outcry after news reports suggested the Trump team was thinking of moving the press corps--referred to as the "opposition party"--out of the White House. Echoing Pope's letter, CBS News chief White House correspondent Major Garrett had this to say in response:
Deirdre Fulton
Deirdre Fulton is a former Common Dreams senior editor and staff writer. Previously she worked as an editor and writer for the Portland Phoenix and the Boston Phoenix, where she was honored by the New England Press Association and the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. A Boston University graduate, Deirdre is a co-founder of the Maine-based Lorem Ipsum Theater Collective and the PortFringe theater festival. She writes young adult fiction in her spare time.
As Donald Trump prepares to take office, the U.S. press corps has offered the president-elect--whose relationship with the media is dicey at best--"a backgrounder on what to expect from us over the next four years."
The open letter published Tuesday at the Columbia Journalism Review (CJR) reminds Trump that cracking down on access won't stop the media from doing its job: "We are very good at finding alternative ways to get information; indeed, some of the best reporting during the campaign came from news organizations that were banned from your rallies," it reads.
The letter, penned by CJR editor-in-chief and publisher Kyle Pope, also warns Trump that "off the record and other ground rules are ours--not yours--to set" and that "we decide how much airtime to give your spokespeople and surrogates."
And it vows:
We're going to work together. You have tried to divide us and use reporters' deep competitive streaks to cause family fights. Those days are ending. We now recognize that the challenge of covering you requires that we cooperate and help one another whenever possible. So, when you shout down or ignore a reporter at a press conference who has said something you don't like, you're going to face a unified front. We'll work together on stories when it makes sense, and make sure the world hears when our colleagues write stories of importance. We will, of course, still have disagreements, and even important debates, about ethics or taste or fair comment. But those debates will be ours to begin and end.
The letter cites multiples examples of Trump's hostility toward the fourth estate, including his shouting matches with journalists, having banned members of the media from his rallies, blasting specific news outlets on Twitter, and threatening to loosen libel laws "so when they write purposely negative and horrible and false articles, we can sue them and win lots of money."
Just this week, there was considerable media outcry after news reports suggested the Trump team was thinking of moving the press corps--referred to as the "opposition party"--out of the White House. Echoing Pope's letter, CBS News chief White House correspondent Major Garrett had this to say in response:
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