Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Let’s talk about freedom of the press—it’s an inalienable right we all share. But when there is bad behavior on both sides, we start to question first amendment rights and access to information. And the consequences thereof.
I listened to the President’s press conference on radio shaking my head in disbelief about the behavior of the press andthe President’s response. The reporters in question exhibited bad behavior, but to hear a sitting President call anyone a “rude, terrible person” denigrates the office.
To get to the rarified air of the White House press corps, journalists and media outlets have to go through approval by the Standing Committee of Correspondents, an association of reporters that approves press passes for Congress. There are background checks, secret service clearance, verification that media outlets are legitimate, and annual review of these checkpoints.
Putting those credentials in jeopardy is generally a bad idea if reporters want to keep their jobs and editors want to maintain access. My friends who are news directors and editors would not condone belligerent behavior—unless it’s on the journey to a truly big story.
For those of you who are civilians and aren’t familiar with the press up close and personal, a few realities. Aggressive, determined reporters are usually rewarded because they get the story. It’s a noxious side effect of our 24/7 news cycle fueled by insta-media online and on cable. There’s always a fine line between a pushy reporter and a hardened journalist.
Frankly, I think CNN’s Jim Acosta performed for his colleagues’ cameras simply to provoke the response from President Trump that he anticipated. There is no greater stage than one that has the potential to reach millions of people online and on air.
It is appropriate for a President (or any person being interviewed) to stop a line of questioning and move on. Usually this is done with a certain amount of professional behavior instead of personally attacking someone. To tell a reporter he/she is a terrible person, then level charges of racism against another reporter, and lash out about “fake news” is petulant and does no honor to the office.
Is this unprecedented behavior? Only because social media amplifies the injustices.
Donald Trump does not have a monopoly on bad relationships with the media. Just look back at Richard Nixon’s war with the Washington Post (for those of you under 40, google “Watergate”). Franklin D. Roosevelt was convinced the newspapers were out to get him. His cousin Theodore was one of the first commanders in chief to use media leaks and spin to manipulate information. Since printed newspapers were considered “new media,” journalists have been banned from the White House and kicked out of the capitol press corps. This relationship is nothing new.
But when access is squeezed repeatedly, we should wake up and take notice. Are journalists being cut off because of personal behavior or because those in power don’t want to consider questions to which the public demands answers ? When elected officials who represent all of us demonstrate repeated disdain of a free press, we need to pay attention.
The American press goes where we do not—to the courts, the state legislatures, the city council meetings, the police departments. Reporters are our eyes and ears, the checks and balances that in some cases hold our public institutions to higher standards. We would like to believe our public institutions always operate with integrity and public interest at heart—but history proves otherwise.
The press is the “fourth estate.” It’s a term that places the press alongside the three branches of government: legislative, executive, and judicial. It gives the press the role of “watchdog” and gives reporters and editors unofficial job description of overseer.
When the press is repeatedly prevented from this role, ask yourself: is the fox watching the hen house?
If you’re interested, find me at mkathrynschmidt@gmail.com.
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