The claim by the Establishment media that press freedom is under threat as a result of President Trump’s suspension of CNN reporter Jim Acosta’s White House press pass (Daily News, November 9) is humbug and fake news.
What your report did not mention is Acosta’s adversarial approach to Trump. He did not rise to ask a question, which is what reporters are supposed to do. Instead, his opening words to Trump were: “I want to challenge you on one of the statements you made during the campaign.”
Press briefings are about an exchange of information not about attempting to indulge in rancorous debate.
Acosta displayed unprofessional aggression and disdain towards the President, the White House Press Secretary and an intern. In rebuking him, Trump sought to instil a tone of decorum in the proceedings. Unfortunately, Acosta and CNN have an antipathy towards Trump that commenced in 2016 and has become their full-time obsession. None other than former CNN host Larry King recently stated that “CNN stopped doing news a long time ago.”
The fact that Trump devoted 90 minutes of his time to that press briefing indicates that he appreciates the role of the press and is not posing a threat to the first amendment. What he rightly objects to is the likes of CNN who abuse the first amendment to run a slander campaign and to propagate fake news.
Sent into The Daily News and published, 12 November 2018
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