Is Donald Trump right when he calls reporters ‘liars’ and ‘lowlifes’?
Thomas Burr, the National Press Club (NPC) president, doesn’t thinks so. Burr attacked Trump’s recent comments that “the press should be ashamed of themselves” for investigating Trump’s fundraising for veterans. Trump called an ABC News reporter a “sleaze.” “You know my opinion of the media,” Trump said, “it’s very low.”
Thomas Burr
Burr, who worked for The Salt Lake Tribune before being elected as NPC president, stated:
Donald Trump misunderstands—or, more likely, simply opposes–the role a free press plays in a democratic society. Reporters are supposed to hold public figures accountable. Any American political candidate who attacks the press for doing its job is campaigning in the wrong country. In the United States, under our Constitution, a free press is a check on politicians of all parties.
If we are to demand that other countries respect the tradition of a free press we must also practice that here at home.
QUESTION: If the press holds public figures accountable, who holds the press accountable?
The First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution reads:
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.
Trump has previously called for making it easier for public figures to sue news organizations for libel, a change that according to Burr, “would practically suffocate a free press and potentially disable some news companies.” The legal definition of libel is:
A published false statement that is damaging to a person’s reputation; a written defamation.
Trump has never called for Congress to pass a law abridging the freedom of speech or the press. However, other nations have passed blasphemy laws, which have the effect of abridging freedom of speech and the press. Perhaps Mr. Burr should demand that other countries “respect the tradition of a free press”? The below infographic by PEW Research shows 47 countries with a blasphemy law:
Do blasphemy laws abridge freedom of speech and the press?
Of course they do. Perhaps Mr. Burr and the National Press Club should be fighting against existing and future blasphemy laws? Perhaps Mr. Burr should welcome punishment for those in the media and reporters who publish false statements that damage a person’s reputation and amount to legal written defamation?
Perhaps the press needs to regain the confidence of the people. Rebecca Riffkin from Gallop reported in 2015:
Americans’ confidence in the media has slowly eroded from a high of 55% in 1998 and 1999. Since 2007, the majority of Americans have had little or no trust in the mass media. Trust has typically dipped in election years, including 2004, 2008, 2012 and last year. However, 2015 is not a major election year.
This decline follows the same trajectory as Americans’ confidence in many institutions and their declining trust in the federal government’s ability to handle domestic and international problems over the same time period.
Perhaps Mr. Trump is echoing the American voters distrust of the media during the 2016 election cycle? Perhaps Mr. Trump is saying what the American people have been thinking for a long, long time?
Free speech and a free press is all about telling the truth. Many Americans believe they are living in a time of universal deceit, where telling the truth has become a revolutionary act.
Perhaps Mr. Trump is leading a revolution, or perhaps an insurgency?
EDITORS NOTE: The featured image of Donald Trump is courtesy of NBC News.
I fear that in the not so distant future, freedom of speech is on the brink in the United States; “the central planners” are working feverishly every moment. Talks are in the making with Google and social media.
Harissa,
Thanks for reading and commenting on my column.
We are seeing blasphemy laws covertly implemented by the social media sites Facebook and Twitter (the new media). Both say it is to reduce “hate speech”. Hate speech is code for infringing the freedom of speech.
Tyrannies always infringe free speech. Look at the infographic in the column. Most of the countries with a blasphemy law are controlled by Islamic regimes.
Blasphemy laws are a one way street, one which inextricably leads to cultural and social suicide.
Dr. Swier, We have lost the ability to reason and accept another’s point of view. We as a society are so quick to use “hate speech” to stifle public discourse instead of “our opinions differ” let’s discuss/debate the differences. The press (media) has caused a rise in this by fostering the attitude of “If you don’t believe as I do then your speech is offensive”. The press/media used to be where the facts were reported but today nothing goes on with out a “spin” of some sort, usually with a political agenda attached. News today is not news it is political commentary on and event. JMHO
Donald Trump is not against the press asking the “hard questions” he, and a LOT of Americans are against them asking these questions to only one side… If the media grilled Obama the same way, he would have never been president; the American people would have seen his radical past and opted not to gamble our future on him. If the media, and other “heros” of the liberal agenda, asked Hillary the hard questions, she would have very little support today…
The media are NOT doing their jobs. They are twisting and changing the facts. Blatant lies in their so called reporting. Trump is correct in his statements about the press. And the one he called a sleaze is A sleaze. 95 % of the news media are biased and are actually commiting FRAUD when they accept their pay checks. SHAME ON ALL OF YOU ! I do not believe anything you say. You are in bed with Hillary and are protecting the lying B**ch
Of course the press disagree with Trump. Trump isn’t saying that the press shouldn’t be allowed to print. He’s saying they should be allowed to print blatant lies and half truths with impunity. He’s saying the press should be held to account for their actions. Which, incidentally, is what the press are saying about the president. Good for the goose, good for the gander.
Donald Trump does not misunderstand what’s going on in today’s media – nor do millions and millions of Americans who are totally disgusted by the complete lack of professionalism in today’s media. Far too many current so-called reporters or journalists are so blatantly biased and slanted that the only thought the average person can come up with is who is the money behind so many pay-offs. It’s no longer about free speech with the current breed of journalists – more like continuous hatchet jobs. There is no excuse for them. No defense. You can try to wrap their corruption in the cloak of free speech if you like, but it doesn’t fly.
“Reporters are supposed to hold public figures accountable.”
Perhaps if they were doing that across the political spectrum, such a sentiment as Mr. Trump has expressed would be more outrageous, but they have not. Instead they have used their power to uplift one political philosophy and cast down another.
The job of the press is to comfort the afflicted and to afflict the comfortable – not to act as king makers.
Excellent points when the courts said the media could knowingly tell a lie with no recourse and Bill Clinton deregulated it has been all down hill. Now over 90% of all US media is owned by 6 corporations. TV newspapers magazines all own by the few to preach whatever lies they want. Anytime real news pops up they use all their media to suppress or discredit the truth we need to hear. Signed sick and tired American.
The truth should prevail. The one who has to rely on the vernacular is a bully relying on anger than stealth or knowledge.
The media’s job is to report the news factually. Not to put their own spin of what THEY WANT the truth to be. And to report ALL news stories, including the ones they may personally disagree with, American’s are not so stupid that we can’t tell when the media is telling us half the story. Right now main stream media is about as reliable and true as the National Enquirer. Main Stream Media is all upset about Donald Trump being the GOP nominee. Well guess what news media you put him there! Now that my friends is what you call karma!
I have a question for you Dr.
When the media reports garbage about Mr. Trump, and ignore the crimes being committed by all of the other politicians, does that make them lowlife and liars?
When the media fails to report the truth, does that make them liars?
A half truth is a whole lie!
The media fails to bring out the lies, cheating, and criminal actions of all of the other politicians, but they seem to spen a lot of time trying to do up stuff on Trump!
I personally feel that Trump is being nice not calling the media what they really are!
He is far nicer than I am!
Trump is being way to kind! The media is the master manipulator, master of making America and the world divisive . They stir up more crap than an outhouse on Coney Island! They have had free reins for 40+ years, since journalism was thrown out of the window! Ever since Chet Huntley and David Brinkley’s exit from the News, the News Media has become a nation of it’s own, seeking to liberalize and destroy Christian morality…..even if it means genocide to morality! So many twisted people are now running the political and media world, that they are doing everything possible to focus the world on world divisiveness, so that you do not focus on what the political and media people are doing to our world and our country……it is an episode right out of a James Bond movie ! “Tomorrow never dies”! Make the News and Capitolize !
Substantially I feel Mr. Trump is correct. In my mind media bias against him is clearly agenda, power, and profit driven. Donald J. Trump would not be on the political stage if our borders were secure, there was some semblance of trade balance, and we were not trillions of dollars in debt. This is the real story. Those in the media interested in the hard work of investigating reporting have a target rich environment. They would not have to climb trees, or even pick low hanging fruit, there is plenty lying on the ground. I think for the most part the media is being used and played like fools by would be power brokers. One would think upon realizing this the “used” would be inspired and driven by professional conviction to expose them. It could be the tenant of integrity in the profession is no longer valued. This is a symptom of a much greater problem. Mr Trump is not the problem, he is simply pointing it out. “Paper Bullets” http://www.paperbullets.us
He is right. He has every reason to feel that way. I totally agree with him. From day one, the media along with the other candidates have been dog piling on Mr. Trump. They need to be just as negative about their coverage of Clinton. Be fair.
Donald Trump is exactly right and I respect him all the more for standing up to these people. What makes the media so angry….is that he’s telling the truth. His courage and back bone will win him more votes because the people respect him. I’ve waited all my life to see someone like him run for President. We can do fine without the press/media and all their lies and twisting of the truth. What we need now is someone brave enough to tell the truth and stand up to those that don’t!