It’s not surprising to hear President-elect Trump’s sneering remarks on anything he deems “fake” and “dishonest.” Since his campaign, he made repeated allegations against news outlets such as CNN and The “failing” New York Times. This ultimately catalyzed crude Conservatives to support Trump’s anti-media rhetoric.
With media trust at an all time low, Americans nationwide seek alternatives to slanted news organizations, or unbiased news. For Trump, mass media discontent glorifies ideals he set forth, to corrode “dishonest media” and “Fake news: A total political witch hunt.”
In an Esquire Magazine exclusive, three senior transition team officials released information that the Trump administration is planning on “[evicting] the press corps.” Unfortunately, this is not surprising. Eliminating press access is the first step towards a fascist regime. Similarly, Kathaleen Parker, a Washington Post columnist, tweeted “Here we go…first silence the reporters. #media #trump #fascism”
Here we go . . . First, silence the reporters. #media #trump #fascism https://t.co/axoq1DKTPA
— kathleenparker (@kathleenparker) January 15, 2017
Officials state that plans are underway to relocate the media to the White House Conference Center. The familiar Press Room, with the iconic podium and navy-blue wall, presently seats 49 journalists. Not only does it serve a briefing purpose, but the Press Room additionally accommodates “working stations and broadcast booths,” according to Paul Boyer, author of the article.
The cited officials claim that this move will allow for a greater press pool. Recent conferences had over 600 press credential requests, only 350 were accepted. Reince Preibus, Trump chief of staff said at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, “You can fit four times the amount of people in press conferences [not in the White House Press Room] allowing more press.”
Although it seems that the mere ‘relocation’ of the press is done in order to maximize the amount of journalists with official press access, one senior officer’s claims say differently:
“They [the press] are the opposition party, I want ’em out of the building. We are taking back the press room.”
It’s quite frightening to believe that the press room, home to daily White House Briefings since 1970, will potentially turn into oblivion with a change in President.
Press accessibility is vital to maintain a sufficient amount of efficacy. With Trump’s plan to ‘renovate’ the Press Room, that access will inevitably decline. It’s no secret that Trump is not a die-hard fan of press freedoms or the press itself, but as a ‘strong’ believer in Constitutional rights, one would think he would realize that he has no right to “abridge the freedom of the press.” Perhaps he, and all other media critics, should re-read the First Amendment.
