Former Vice President Joe Biden addressed the importance of World Press Freedom Day on Sunday by highlighting President Donald Trump’s uncontrolled attacks against journalists and news companies.
The 2020 Democratic presidential nominee tweeted an extensive statement marking the day, which is aimed to acknowledge the role of journalists in upholding democracy around the world in general.
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“A free press is essential to a free society. Tyrants know this all too well. That is why attacking the press and attempting to intimidate independent media is a standard part of the authoritarian playbook. And, it’s why Donald Trump’s repeated efforts to demonize the media put us on such a dangerous path,” Biden said.
A free press is essential to a free society. That’s why attacking the press and attempting to intimidate independent media is a standard part of the authoritarian playbook around the world. And it’s why Donald Trump’s efforts to demonize the media put us on such a dangerous path.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) May 3, 2020
Trump is very much known for his constant attack on the press since his campaign for the 2016 presidential election. He has long created and promoted distrust for journalists and mainstream news outlets by attacking reporters at almost all his rallies, during press gaggles, and on Twitter.
He has repeatedly accused the press of spreading lies and misinformation. This attitude has prompted many of his supporters to stop listening to those whose job is, to tell the truth, and, in some instances, threaten journalists with harassment and violence.
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“Trump deflects legitimate questions with attacks. He bullies and berates individual members of the press, rather than take responsibility for his failures of leadership. His efforts to undermine public confidence in the integrity of fact-based reporting violate our core American values and threaten our very system government. And, it is particularly offensive to see the White House seek to spread misinformation and bully reporters in the midst of a global pandemic,” Biden said.
Trump’s attack on the media keeps increasing as the nation struggles to combat the coronavirus pandemic. His daily press briefings with the White House’s coronavirus task force started out with reporters seeking science-based updates on the virus — and quickly devolved into something akin to a Trump campaign rally.
When reporters try to address the president’s lies or seek clarification on conflicting information, Trump calls journalists “dishonest,” their questions “nasty,” their employer “fake news,” and the general media “angry.”
Leaders must approach a crisis by presenting information in a way that is clear, consistent and credible, Frank Sesno, a former CNN journalist currently serving as director of the School of Media and Public Affairs at The George Washington University, told HuffPost.
“So to present information in a divisive way … or to attack messengers so that people doubt what they are seeing ― this is a damaging thing. And while the president may feel that he is taking a shot at the media and the media deserve it ― and fair enough, some of them may ― what he’s really doing is he’s further reinforcing his own role as a divisive person who criticizes and attacks. Now is not the time to criticize and attack,” Sesno said.
Biden in a statement said, as president, he would bring back a relationship between the White House and the press “that is grounded in mutual respect, and especially when they critique policies or positions of my administration.”
Effect of attacking the media
Up to 360 people around the world are currently imprisoned as a result of reports they made, according to Reporters Without Borders, which has ranked the U.S. 45th out of 180 countries in press freedom.
In 2019, not less than 25 journalists died while trying to do their job, at least 10 of the number were murdered for jobs they did, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.
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The committee released a report in April detailing how the Trump administration’s attacks on press credibility endanger the nation’s democracy and global press freedom.
“Journalists in the U.S. have been largely undeterred by the daily barrage of pressure, insults, and abuse emanating from President Trump,” CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon said in a statement when the report was released. “But the president’s attacks on the media have had an impact. They have undermined public trust in journalism as an institution, a dangerous place to find ourselves in the midst of a public health emergency. And they have empowered autocrats around the world who are cracking down on press freedom with unbridled ferocity at a time when truthful information is more than ever a precious commodity.”
Here’s how Trump commended journalists on World Press Freedom Day:
The Fake News doesn’t show real polls. Lamestream Media is totally CORRUPT, the Enemy of the People! https://t.co/Agwb3u5QFd
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 3, 2020
Thank you! https://t.co/GAFe1AdZpt
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 3, 2020
Going well despite the Fake News! https://t.co/WXqcomjahx
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 3, 2020
Intelligence has just reported to me that I was correct, and that they did NOT bring up the CoronaVirus subject matter until late into January, just prior to my banning China from the U.S. Also, they only spoke of the Virus in a very non-threatening, or matter of fact, manner…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 3, 2020
