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Welcome, readers, to the Good Men Project Daily News Brief!
Today we’re discussing some of the news surrounding the freedom of the press. I opened this column with a quote from Thomas Jefferson, and would like to use another here:
No government ought to be without censors: and where the press is free, no one ever will. If virtuous, it need not fear the fair operation of attack and defense. Nature has given to man no other means of sifting out the truth either in religion, law, or politics. I think it as honorable to the government neither to know, nor notice, it’s sycophants or censors, as it would be undignified and criminal to pamper the former and persecute the latter.
The American Fourth Estate finds itself in a battle for its role as a final check on the current government. Here are some of the stories we want to draw your attention to.
My name is Mckay Williams, I’m an editor here with the Good Men Project and this is your Daily Brief:
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AFP journalist, along with nine others, targeted in suicide attack in Kabul
In the era of “fake news” and historic low trust in the media, it is important to remember what journalists do and the very real danger many are in every day. Hallie Jackson of MSNBC brought to our attention the life and death of Shah Marai, a 22 year veteran of covering foreign wars who was slain Monday morning in an apparently targeted attack against the group of journalists. Among the dead are BBC Reporter Ahmad Shah, Mahram Durani and Ebadullah Hanazi of Radio Free Europe, Yar Mohammad Toki with TOLONews, reporter Ghazi Rasoul with 1TV, Nawroz Ali Khamosh, Ali Saleemi and Saleem Talash from Mashal TV, and Sabawoon Kakar from RFE.
The Trump Administration has called the men and women of the press “enemies of the people” and fueled the idea that any coverage not favorable to the White House’s agenda is “fake news”. I would like to point out that honorable journalists continue to put themselves in harm’s way to bring accurate reporting to the electorate.
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Homeland Security to begin monitoring journalists and “media influencers”.
This is a story from earlier in the month, but I think it offers some important context to the theme of the day. Reporting from Bloomberg Government the DHS is making moves toward developing a platform to track journalists and “media influencers” while noting the “sentiment” of the reporting. While seemingly innocuous and framed as an attempt to correct the “fake news” problem on social media, this could be the Administration dipping its toes in the waters of limiting free speech. Watch this story.
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President Trump has not held a press conference in over a year.
It’s been over a year, in an Administration only 15 months old, since President Trump has held a press conference open to questions from the press. In the 12-hour news cycle, we’re currently in, it’s easy to overlook how abnormal it is to not have the President of the United States accessible to the media. Is it easier to make the argument that news is fake when you fail to directly provide the news? What are your thoughts?
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White House Correspondents Dinner 2018. What happened?
In 1921 the White House press pool began hosting an informal dinner to poke fun at themselves, their coverage, and the people they covered. It has generally been anon-story until the last decade or so. For example, in 2011, President Obama mocked citizen Trump’s obsession with the “birther movement”, who were believers in the idea that President Obama was ineligible for the Presidency because he was not born in the United States:
And I know just the guy to do it -– Donald Trump is here tonight! (Laughter and applause.) Now, I know that he’s taken some flak lately, but no one is happier, no one is prouder to put this birth certificate matter to rest than the Donald. (Laughter.) And that’s because he can finally get back to focusing on the issues that matter –- like, did we fake the moon landing? (Laughter.) What really happened in Roswell? (Laughter.) And where are Biggie and Tupac? (Laughter and applause.)
But all kidding aside, obviously, we all know about your credentials and breadth of experience. (Laughter.) For example — no, seriously, just recently, in an episode of Celebrity Apprentice — (laughter) — at the steakhouse, the men’s cooking team cooking did not impress the judges from Omaha Steaks. And there was a lot of blame to go around. But you, Mr. Trump, recognized that the real problem was a lack of leadership. And so ultimately, you didn’t blame Lil’ Jon or Meatloaf. (Laughter.) You fired Gary Busey. (Laughter.) And these are the kind of decisions that would keep me up at night. (Laughter and applause.) Well handled, sir. (Laughter.) Well handled.
Say what you will about Mr. Trump, he certainly would bring some change to the White House. Let’s see what we’ve got up there.
This exchange has been cited as a possible turning point for Donald Trump’s decision to run for President. This week’s WCD caused another controversy surrounding Michelle Wolf’s performance mocking pretty much everyone in the Administration and media.
Was this too far? Or was this an expression of Ms. Wolf’s First Amendment rights?
What do you think? Let us know.
Click for more from Mckay Williams
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