CNN vs Trump

Published July 30, 2018

DONALD Trump’s relationship with the media is far from smooth.

The US president, who rarely shies away from making sweeping statements and stoking controversy, often lambasts the media for airing ‘fake news’, especially if the news in question is critical of him. CNN often tops the list of media organisations Mr Trump loathes, and recently a reporter for the network was banned from covering a White House event. Apparently, the extreme step was taken as the reporter asked “inappropriate” questions. Surely the US president and his media managers know that it is the press’s job to ask tricky questions of those in power. However, what is heartening is that nearly all major media outlets in the US — including right-wing broadcaster Fox News, which is said to have Mr Trump’s stamp of approval — rallied around CNN and its journalist.

News organisations have a right to take a political line, and as long as coverage does not scandalise or libel a subject, criticism must be accepted by public figures. That is why the US president’s move has raised hackles as such behaviour is unacceptable in a state with a free media. The American media’s solidarity over Mr Trump’s banning of the reporter must be appreciated, and we in Pakistan can also learn from this episode. In Pakistan, politicians and others in the nation’s power corridors have mixed feelings towards various media organisations; the latter often take differing lines where support or criticism of political parties is concerned. However, where protection of the right to freely publish or broadcast the facts is concerned, there needs to be unity amongst the Pakistani media’s ranks. This means that if any channel’s transmission is blocked, or any newspaper’s distribution is disrupted, all media organisations must speak with one voice to condemn such tactics. Where freedom of the media is concerned, there simply cannot be a compromise in a democratic society.

Published in Dawn, July 30th, 2018

Opinion

Who bears the cost?

Who bears the cost?

This small window of low inflation should compel a rethink of how the authorities and employers understand the average household’s

Editorial

Internet restrictions
Updated 23 Dec, 2024

Internet restrictions

Notion that Pakistan enjoys unprecedented freedom of expression difficult to reconcile with the reality of restrictions.
Bangladesh reset
23 Dec, 2024

Bangladesh reset

THE vibes were positive during Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s recent meeting with Bangladesh interim leader Dr...
Leaving home
23 Dec, 2024

Leaving home

FROM asylum seekers to economic migrants, the continuing exodus from Pakistan shows mass disillusionment with the...
Military convictions
Updated 22 Dec, 2024

Military convictions

Pakistan’s democracy, still finding its feet, cannot afford such compromises on core democratic values.
Need for talks
22 Dec, 2024

Need for talks

FOR a long time now, the country has been in the grip of relentless political uncertainty, featuring the...
Vulnerable vaccinators
22 Dec, 2024

Vulnerable vaccinators

THE campaign to eradicate polio from Pakistan cannot succeed unless the safety of vaccinators and security personnel...