It\u2019s now clear that one of Donald Trump\u2019s top priorities as president is to discredit, harass, and intimidate his critics, or anyone who exposes how his administration is working.<\/p>\n
Following his inauguration, he declared<\/span><\/a> a \u201crunning war with the media,\u201d ranted about journalists\u2019 coverage of the size of his inaugural crowds and railed against \u201cfake news.\u201d But his hostility deepened with his tweet describing the media as \u201cthe enemy of the American people,\u201d his anti-press tirade<\/span><\/a> at the Conservative Political Action Conference and his warning he would \u201cdo something\u201d about \u00a0journalists\u2019 use of anonymous sources\u2014though his staff often requires anonymity from journalists they brief. Most worrying yesterday was the exclusion<\/span><\/a> of outlets whose coverage he disliked from a White House press meeting.<\/p>\n Trump rails about leaks<\/span><\/a> of information that is embarrassing, if not particularly sensitive. He and some of his supporters have called the leaks a threat, urged investigations<\/span><\/a>, and spoken darkly of the need to \u201creform\u201d<\/span><\/a> supposedly leaky government agencies.<\/p>\n Ominously, Trump\u2019s son-in-law and adviser Jared Kushner is reported<\/span><\/a> to have met with executives of Time Warner, CNN\u2019s parent company, to complain about the network\u2019s coverage. On the campaign trail, Trump threatened to block a major deal by the company, raising questions about whether the administration might use this to pressure Time Warner to back off on CNN\u2019s critical coverage.<\/p>\n Trump has said his criticism of the media is protected by the First Amendment to the US Constitution. But there is a difference between protected speech and threats, intimidation, retaliation, and smear campaigns backed up by the power of the presidency. And in human rights terms, while government leaders have a right to free expression, they also have a duty to protect it\u2014including for critical media\u2014to secure the public\u2019s right to information.<\/p>\n Demagogues in other countries regularly use such tactics<\/span><\/a> to silence critics and restrict the media\u2019s ability to inform the public. Too often they have paved the road to even greater assaults on rights and democracy<\/span><\/a>. Ultimately, the country as a whole\u2014regardless of party affiliation\u2014will lose if it continues.<\/p>\n Source: https:\/\/www.hrw.org\/news\/2017\/02\/26\/trumps-crusade-against-critics<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" It\u2019s now clear that one of Donald Trump\u2019 … Continue reading