I’m sipping my coffee and reading about the latest drama between the White House and the press corps, and folks, it’s getting interesting. President Donald Trump’s ban on CNN, MS NOW, and Politico has prompted a show of solidarity from almost every corner of the White House press corps and beyond. I mean, who doesn’t love a good underdog story, right? The news organizations are banding together, and it’s like they’re saying, “Hey, you can’t pick on one of us without picking on all of us.”
The ban has been challenged in court by the news organizations, and it’s not just the big players that are weighing in. Local news outlets, social media influencers, and free-speech advocates are all joining the chorus. It’s like the whole media world is saying, “Enough is enough, Mr. President.” The Associated Press chose not to publish photos of Monday’s presidential appearances, and NPR announced that it’s not airing audio of Trump’s events for the time being. I guess you could say they’re giving the President the cold shoulder.
On Fox News, anchor Bret Baier noted that Trump will have a full day of events at the United Nations on Tuesday, but the TV pool is standing in solidarity with the banned outlets. The result on Monday was not a boycott, but something close to a blackout, with a noticeable absence of Trump photos and videos on TV and news websites. It’s like the media is saying, “We’re not going to play along with this game.” The Pentagon Press Association, The Society of Professional Journalists, The New York Times, and The Atlantic all issued statements of support for the affected outlets.
Newsrooms like The New Yorker, the Financial Times, and The Wall Street Journal signed an open letter organized by Committee to Protect Journalists CEO Jodie Ginsberg that said Trump’s ban “sets a dangerous precedent.” Ginsberg said, “Enough is enough. The role of the free press is to hold power to account, and governments should never dictate who gets to report on them.” I’ve got to say, it’s refreshing to see the media standing up for itself like this.
The CNN, MS NOW, and Politico joint lawsuit was prominently covered by most other major media outlets on Monday. Fresh video of Trump was scarce because CNN was prohibited from taking its turn as the TV pool, and the other networks agreed not to replace the network. The White House tried to line up an alternative broadcaster to fulfill pool duties, but Gray TV declined. Several other media outlets were also approached about taking CNN’s seats in the pool, and declined. It’s like they’re all saying, “No, we won’t play along with this.”
Still photographers who regularly document Trump’s events and trips also showed solidarity by deciding not to publish images of Trump during the day on Monday. The Washington Post called it a “collective effort with photographers in other newsrooms.” The New York Times described the action similarly, saying it “will not publish or distribute any images taken as part of the White House still photography pool today, in conjunction with the other members of that pool and in a show of support for the news organizations being unfairly targeted by the president’s barring of journalists from the White House.” I guess you could say the media is giving Trump the silent treatment.
On Tuesday morning, it was not immediately clear if the actions would stretch into a second day. But one thing’s for sure – this drama is far from over. As I finish my coffee, I’ve got to say, it’s been entertaining to watch the media stand up for itself like this. And who knows, maybe this is the start of a beautiful friendship between all these news outlets. Ha! Who am I kidding? They’ll be back to competing with each other in no time. But for now, it’s nice to see them putting aside their differences and standing up for what’s right.
Armchair patriot. Believes in the free market, cold beer, and that there’s always a guy named George behind every CNN segment.
Former remote-throwing champion turned #1 couch commentator on liberal panic in the media. Born in Texas (or so his mug says), he earned a degree in Fake Newsology & Beer Philosophy from YouTube University.
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