President Donald Trump talks to reporters before departing the White House March 22, 2019 in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
'Naked Attack on the Free Press': Trump Allies Reportedly Raising $2 Million for Campaign to Discredit Journalists
"Intimidating reporters to influence coverage is a tactic of dictators and has no place here," said Sen. Jeff Merkley
Right-wing operatives allied with President Donald Trump are attempting to raise at least $2 million to fund a campaign to discredit journalists and editors at major U.S. media outlets like the Washington Post, Buzzfeed, New York Times, and HuffPost.
That's according to a three-page fundraising pitch for the effort reviewed by Axios, which reported Tuesday that the group of Trump allies "claims it will slip damaging information about reporters and editors to 'friendly media outlets,' such as Breitbart, and traditional media, if possible."
One person involved in raising funds for the campaign, according to Axios, is Republican operative Arthur Schwartz, an informal adviser to Donald Trump Jr. and aggressive defender of the White House.
Critics were quick to raise alarm about the project. Justin Hendrix, executive director of tech organization NYC Media Lab, called the effort "a naked attack on the free press."
Axios reported that the fundraising effort is a sign that "Trump's war on the media is expanding."
"The prospectus for the new project," according to Axios, "says it's 'targeting the people producing the news.'"
Axios's story comes just over a week after the New York Times reported that network of Trump allies is planning an operation to scour the social media accounts of journalists--as well as members of their families--in an attempt to find and publicize "potentially embarrassing" posts.
According to the Times:
The group has already released information about journalists at CNN, The Washington Post and The New York Times -- three outlets that have aggressively investigated Mr. Trump -- in response to reporting or commentary that the White House's allies consider unfair to Mr. Trump and his team or harmful to his re-election prospects.
Operatives have closely examined more than a decade's worth of public posts and statements by journalists, the people familiar with the operation said. Only a fraction of what the network claims to have uncovered has been made public, the people said, with more to be disclosed as the 2020 election heats up. The research is said to extend to members of journalists' families who are active in politics, as well as liberal activists and other political opponents of the president.
In response to the Times report, Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) said "intimidating reporters to influence coverage is a tactic of dictators and has no place here."
"A free press--where journalists can pursue any story, regardless of politicians' or admins' agendas--is how we know the most powerful among us are held accountable," said Merkley. "We need a free press."
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. In a few short weeks, US voters will 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. Our Fall Campaign is underway, and we need your help. To power our newsroom through the rest of the year, we need to raise $125,000 by midnight on October 31. So if you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Right-wing operatives allied with President Donald Trump are attempting to raise at least $2 million to fund a campaign to discredit journalists and editors at major U.S. media outlets like the Washington Post, Buzzfeed, New York Times, and HuffPost.
That's according to a three-page fundraising pitch for the effort reviewed by Axios, which reported Tuesday that the group of Trump allies "claims it will slip damaging information about reporters and editors to 'friendly media outlets,' such as Breitbart, and traditional media, if possible."
One person involved in raising funds for the campaign, according to Axios, is Republican operative Arthur Schwartz, an informal adviser to Donald Trump Jr. and aggressive defender of the White House.
Critics were quick to raise alarm about the project. Justin Hendrix, executive director of tech organization NYC Media Lab, called the effort "a naked attack on the free press."
Axios reported that the fundraising effort is a sign that "Trump's war on the media is expanding."
"The prospectus for the new project," according to Axios, "says it's 'targeting the people producing the news.'"
Axios's story comes just over a week after the New York Times reported that network of Trump allies is planning an operation to scour the social media accounts of journalists--as well as members of their families--in an attempt to find and publicize "potentially embarrassing" posts.
According to the Times:
The group has already released information about journalists at CNN, The Washington Post and The New York Times -- three outlets that have aggressively investigated Mr. Trump -- in response to reporting or commentary that the White House's allies consider unfair to Mr. Trump and his team or harmful to his re-election prospects.
Operatives have closely examined more than a decade's worth of public posts and statements by journalists, the people familiar with the operation said. Only a fraction of what the network claims to have uncovered has been made public, the people said, with more to be disclosed as the 2020 election heats up. The research is said to extend to members of journalists' families who are active in politics, as well as liberal activists and other political opponents of the president.
In response to the Times report, Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) said "intimidating reporters to influence coverage is a tactic of dictators and has no place here."
"A free press--where journalists can pursue any story, regardless of politicians' or admins' agendas--is how we know the most powerful among us are held accountable," said Merkley. "We need a free press."
Right-wing operatives allied with President Donald Trump are attempting to raise at least $2 million to fund a campaign to discredit journalists and editors at major U.S. media outlets like the Washington Post, Buzzfeed, New York Times, and HuffPost.
That's according to a three-page fundraising pitch for the effort reviewed by Axios, which reported Tuesday that the group of Trump allies "claims it will slip damaging information about reporters and editors to 'friendly media outlets,' such as Breitbart, and traditional media, if possible."
One person involved in raising funds for the campaign, according to Axios, is Republican operative Arthur Schwartz, an informal adviser to Donald Trump Jr. and aggressive defender of the White House.
Critics were quick to raise alarm about the project. Justin Hendrix, executive director of tech organization NYC Media Lab, called the effort "a naked attack on the free press."
Axios reported that the fundraising effort is a sign that "Trump's war on the media is expanding."
"The prospectus for the new project," according to Axios, "says it's 'targeting the people producing the news.'"
Axios's story comes just over a week after the New York Times reported that network of Trump allies is planning an operation to scour the social media accounts of journalists--as well as members of their families--in an attempt to find and publicize "potentially embarrassing" posts.
According to the Times:
The group has already released information about journalists at CNN, The Washington Post and The New York Times -- three outlets that have aggressively investigated Mr. Trump -- in response to reporting or commentary that the White House's allies consider unfair to Mr. Trump and his team or harmful to his re-election prospects.
Operatives have closely examined more than a decade's worth of public posts and statements by journalists, the people familiar with the operation said. Only a fraction of what the network claims to have uncovered has been made public, the people said, with more to be disclosed as the 2020 election heats up. The research is said to extend to members of journalists' families who are active in politics, as well as liberal activists and other political opponents of the president.
In response to the Times report, Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) said "intimidating reporters to influence coverage is a tactic of dictators and has no place here."
"A free press--where journalists can pursue any story, regardless of politicians' or admins' agendas--is how we know the most powerful among us are held accountable," said Merkley. "We need a free press."