“Our liberty depends on the freedom of the press, and that cannot be limited without being lost.” - Thomas Jefferson
New presidencies often bring tension between the administration and select media outlets. President Obama had a rocky relationship with Fox News, and his administration went so far as to limit its access to the press pool and to certain interviews. However, a far more unusual event occurred this week when tensions between the Trump administration and the media escalated to the point of barred entry to the White House press briefing for several major news outlets.
Because President Trump was angry about stories that portrayed his presidential actions in a negative light, he has chipped away at our democratic ideals and banned media outlets that he perceives to be biased against him. Many accusations have been flying around labelling different media organizations as illegitimate and fake, but now that these accusations have translated into actions, the freedom of the press in the United States is in real danger.
Throughout American history, the press has existed to disseminate information to the people and to be the people's check on the government. Media has advanced since the days of the local newspaper being the primary news source. With journalistic advances comes increased scrutiny on important members of government. President Nixon’s illegal activities were discovered by intense reporting by Washington Post writers, setting the standard for media pressure on the executive branch. With the rise of the Internet, sites like Breitbart, Infowars, and Addicting Info are able to survive and gain a following without much vetting because of the ease of posting information online. These sites release controversial stories about famous figures that are improperly sourced. However, the information is easily accessible, so people read it and spread the information as if it were legitimate. The trouble comes when the executive branch begins to engage with these less credible sources at the expense of the established media outlets.
Donald Trump was wrong to ban media outlets like Politico, CNN and the New York Times from his press briefing, just as Barack Obama was wrong to ban Fox News from certain interviews. Freedom of the press is a constitutional right that should never be encroached upon. Countries that shape the news to fit their desires are known as dictatorships, in which one person controls the information flow. As a democracy, the United States should strive to give the people unfiltered access to the government. Reputable media outlets have always been and continue to be the vital link between people and government.
Whether or not the president agrees with the news or thinks it is accurate should not be a part of the equation. It is up to the consumers to engage actively with the news and determine if they think it is accurate. That is a decision left to the people, not the president. Regardless of whether or not the news takes a liberal or conservative stance, as long as it is properly sourced and timely reported, it should be shared with the American people. Otherwise, one of the most important constitutional rights has been diminished.
