search
Sections List
American Journal News

Veteran reporter proposes media boycott of White House press briefings

Donald Trump declared the media the enemy months ago. It was a dangerous, dictatorial assertion that drew wide criticism from across the political spectrum. His threats to a free press have only intensified since, and the White House press team has followed suit. Month ago, the White House banned from a press briefing major news […]

By Katie Paris - June 20, 2017
Share
Acosta

His threats to a free press have only intensified since, and the White House press team has followed suit.

Month ago, the White House banned from a press briefing major news outlets that had all broken or urged the pursuit of major stories about the Trump team’s ties to Russia. In response, more than 300,000 people called for the press to stand up to Trump’s black list, and the Society of Professional Journalists stood by the journalists who were banned.

But little has changed.

And the administration’s behavior has grown even more dangerous, repeatedly giving access to Russian media to the exclusion of U.S. press, and even compromising national security by allowing Russian state media in the Oval Office. As recently as this week, White House press secretary Sean Spicer allowed a Russian news sources to ask a question, but not CNN.

That took place at an off-camera briefing with Spicer at which audio recording was not even allowed. In fact, Trump has not given a TV interview in weeks, and the White House has not allowed cameras or audio recording of a press briefing in over a week.

Following that briefing, CNN’s White House reporter Jim Acosta called out the White House’s “bizarre” behavior. But he wasn’t finished. In a late evening appearance, he suggested that the media needs to do something about it.

ACOSTA: This is something that mainstream news organizations are going to be reluctant to do, we are going to have to consider banding together and saying, you know what, we’re not going to cover your gaggle, we’re not going to cover your briefing if you’re just going to have this press briefing going on in the briefing room without video or audio. That is just too strange and bizarre and out of the tradition of covering the White House and we’re just not going to do it. The question becomes, and herein lies the rub, do these news organizations band together and do this? I’m not saying that they won’t. It’s a very difficult thing to pull us all together, you know.

Acosta is right. It would be enormously difficult to pull off. News organizations compete for access and are reluctant to give it up. But by banding together, they could send the clear and important message Acosta recommends: Media accountability, a cornerstone of our democracy, depends on transparency. The White House’s behavior is not normal. And it’s not acceptable.


AJ News
Get the latest news here first.

Tai News

Newsletter
Read More
105 Republicans voted to expel Santos for things Trump has also done

105 Republicans voted to expel Santos for things Trump has also done

By Jesse Valentine - December 05, 2023
Biden campaign pivots to focus on healthcare

Biden campaign pivots to focus on healthcare

By Kim Lyons - November 30, 2023
U.S. Sen. Tim Scott drops out of 2024 presidential race

U.S. Sen. Tim Scott drops out of 2024 presidential race

By Robin Opsahl - November 13, 2023
Biden infrastructure law helps Pennsylvania’s small manufacturers

Biden infrastructure law helps Pennsylvania’s small manufacturers

By Oliver Willis - October 20, 2023
Republicans continue their unpopular attempts to abolish the Department of Education

Republicans continue their unpopular attempts to abolish the Department of Education

By Will Fritz - October 20, 2023
GOP presidential candidates use Israel-Hamas war to stoke anti-immigrant sentiment

GOP presidential candidates use Israel-Hamas war to stoke anti-immigrant sentiment

By Oliver Willis - October 20, 2023
AJ News
Latest
Texas governor and attorney general do little to curb state’s chemical plant crisis

Texas governor and attorney general do little to curb state’s chemical plant crisis

By Jesse Valentine - December 08, 2023
Likely GOP Senate candidate Eric Hovde proposed tax hike for poorer workers and retirees

Likely GOP Senate candidate Eric Hovde proposed tax hike for poorer workers and retirees

By Jesse Valentine - December 07, 2023
Whitmer signs specific criminal penalties for assaulting health care workers into law

Whitmer signs specific criminal penalties for assaulting health care workers into law

By Anna Liz Nichols, Michigan Advance - December 06, 2023
105 Republicans voted to expel Santos for things Trump has also done

105 Republicans voted to expel Santos for things Trump has also done

By Jesse Valentine - December 05, 2023
For Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, another Trump term is another chance to kill Obamacare

For Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, another Trump term is another chance to kill Obamacare

By Jesse Valentine - December 04, 2023
Florida Sen. Rick Scott backs Donald Trump in revived push to repeal Obamacare

Florida Sen. Rick Scott backs Donald Trump in revived push to repeal Obamacare

By Jesse Valentine - November 30, 2023
Tate Reeves took donations from power company that hiked customer rates

Tate Reeves took donations from power company that hiked customer rates

By Jesse Valentine - November 06, 2023
Daniel Cameron ran on depoliticizing the Kentucky AG’s office. He made it more political.

Daniel Cameron ran on depoliticizing the Kentucky AG’s office. He made it more political.

By Jesse Valentine - November 03, 2023
Republican operatives sound every alarm on current trajectory of 2023 governor’s race

Republican operatives sound every alarm on current trajectory of 2023 governor’s race

By Adam Ganucheau, Mississippi Today - October 24, 2023
Wisconsin’s fake electors settle lawsuit, acknowledge Biden won in 2020

Wisconsin’s fake electors settle lawsuit, acknowledge Biden won in 2020

By Henry Redman, Wisconsin Examiner - December 06, 2023
NH Supreme Court closes door on partisan gerrymandering cases, taking lead from SCOTUS

NH Supreme Court closes door on partisan gerrymandering cases, taking lead from SCOTUS

By Ethan DeWitt, New Hampshire Bulletin - December 05, 2023
Missouri abortion-rights amendments face ‘torturous’ process to make it to 2024 ballot

Missouri abortion-rights amendments face ‘torturous’ process to make it to 2024 ballot

By Anna Spoerre, Kansas City Star - December 05, 2023