Journalism

The president is not letting up on NBC, retweeting former Fox host Bill O'Rielly's take on the Federal Communications Commission license issue and taking new shots at the network for its reporting, including suggesting it could be President's new 'fake news' whipping outlet--replacing CNN.

In a week when NBC News's report about President Trump's alleged contemplation of massively ramping up the nuclear arsenal prompted a flood of tweets and comments excoriating the network, the president showed no signs of slowing down despite some bipartisan pushback. Oct 12 President Trump tweeted: "People are just now starting to find out how dishonest and disgusting (FakeNews) @NBCNews is. Viewers beware. May be worse than even @CNN!" He also retweeted a Bill O'Rielly tweet without added comment: "A free press is vital to protecting all Americans. A corrupt press damages the Republic."

[Commentary] I worry that as we focus on Russian bots on Twitter influencing elections, we’re ignoring a bigger threat to democracy and the political process right here at home: the proposed merger of Sinclair Broadcast Group with Tribune Media Company. Imagine what could happen to politics if Sinclair becomes the dominant local news gatekeeper.

With their time tested tactic of depopulating local news of trusted anchors, “disappearing” reliable “gatekeepers” the way Pol Pot eliminated dissenters, there wouldn’t even be news voices in key markets with the stature to help primary and caucus voters distinguish between truth and tall tales. Just think of the election eve surprises that a Sinclair broadcast could offer before the Iowa caucuses. There’s no shortage today of people and platforms aiming to divide Americans. They don’t just reside in the Kremlin. Think twice before greenlighting a merger that would enable even more “trumpization” of American politics.

[David Wade was national press secretary for the 2004 John Kerry campaign and served as spokesman for vice presidential nominee Joseph Biden for the 2008 Barack Obama campaign. He is founder of the strategic communications firm Green Light Strategies.]

President Donald Trump's war of words with the press escalated again when he suggested challenging, or revoking, the broadcasting licenses of stations that air network news programming. The response from the chair of the Federal Communications Commission: silence.

Chairman Ajit Pai could probably calm the industry and people across the political spectrum by assuring them that the agency won't violate democratic norms by targeting stations for political reasons. But thus far he hasn't issued an official statement or even a tweet about the president's tweets. "I think Chairman Pai is precariously balancing his desire not to anger the president with his desire not to anger the broadcast industry, which he has assiduously courted," says former FCC special counsel Gigi Sohn. "He certainly doesn’t want to attract the president’s ire."

[Commentary] Rage against the media is political Wagyu for the president’s base. And Trump’s notion of suspending television networks’ licenses — along with his proposal that late-night comedians be subject to the “equal time” rule — is essentially unworkable, given how government regulation of the airwaves actually works. So was it a genuine threat — or just another comment from a president who seemingly thrives on narrative tension simply trying to top himself? “One has to suppose that he’s looking for ways to shock people,” said Russell Baker. “It may go through, or he might probably forget about it,” said the former columnist for The Times. “Is anybody shocked anymore? He’s used it up. It can only last so long.” “What else could he say that he hasn’t already said?” said Bob Schieffer, the broadcasting eminence who formerly anchored “CBS Evening News”. Seen-it-all veterans may take Trump’s recent statements with a few grains of salt. But two former White House officials turned pundits, David Axelrod and Robert Reich, warned of creeping autocracy. And advocacy groups like the Committee to Protect Journalists were moved to point out that such words, issued from the presidential pulpit, can embolden dictators who are more empowered than President Trump to shape or censor coverage.

The House Communications Subcommittee plans to hold a Federal Communication Commission oversight hearing Oct 25. Democratic members of the committee on Oct. 12 called for a hearing at which the commissioners would pledge not to target news outlets over their coverage of the Administration—as President Donald Trump has urged—but a source said it was a routing hearing that had been in the works for several weeks as they tried to work out availabilities. The subcommittee postponed an earlier FCC oversight hearing, and this week referred a bill reauthorizing the agency and to the full committee with work still to do on it. Invites have gone out to all the commissioners and they have until noon Oct 13 to respond.

Indiana state Rep Jim Lucas (R-Seymour) has drafted a bill that would require professional journalists to be licensed by state police. State Rep Lucas had the measure drawn up earlier in 2017 and said he may file it to drive home a point about his signature issue — gun rights. “If you’re okay licensing my second amendment right, what’s wrong with licensing your first amendment right?” he said. His proposal would require professional journalists to submit an application to the Indiana State Police. Journalists would be fingerprinted as part of the process and would have to pay a $75 fee for a lifetime license. Those with felony or domestic battery convictions would be prohibited from getting a license.

White House chief of staff John Kelly told reporters they are a big frustration for President Trump. The retired general made a rare appearance before reporters assembled in the James S. Brady Briefing Room for the White House's press briefing, telling the press corps that they are one of the president's top frustrations. "When I watch TV in the morning, it is astounding to me how much is misreported," he said. "I will give you the benefit of the doubt that you are operating off of contacts, leaks, whatever you call them," he said. "But I just would offer to you the advice — maybe develop some better sources."

[Commentary] Many have commented on the First Amendment implications if President Donald Trump were to actually go after NBC’s license (or really, the licenses of local affiliates since NBC itself doesn’t need a license) or the NFL’s tax status. But President Trump need not act on his threats for his actions to be considered a First Amendment violation. There’s a compelling argument Trump is in violation of Constitution right now—after he crossed the line from criticism of protected speech to openly threatening government action.

There’s plenty of case law on this subject from the Supreme Court to appeals courts around the country. Most recently, in a case in the Seventh Circuit called BackPage LLC vs. Thomas Dart, Sheriff of Cook County, Illinois, just-retired Judge Richard Posner articulated exactly why Trump may already be running afoul of the First Amendment merely through his threats.

[Trevor Timm is the executive director of Freedom of the Press Foundation]

President Donald Trump on Oct 12 again slammed the “fake news” media, saying it has “such hatred.” “The Fake News Is going all out in order to demean and denigrate!" the president wrote on Twitter. "Such hatred!” The tweet from President Trump comes one day after he blasted NBC News over the network’s story that the president wanted to expand the United States’ nuclear arsenal.

The rise of fraudulent news and the erosion of public trust in mainstream journalism, due in part to a deliberate campaign of denigration, pose a looming crisis for American democracy and civic life. It is our hope in this report to spotlight the dimensions of the problem, call out its serious implications, and stimulate greater urgency across multiple sectors of society that have a role to play in addressing it.

Among PEN America's recommendations:
Educators should “adopt news literacy education as a core part of school curriculums.”
Social media networks such as Twitter and Facebook should “identify purveyors of fraudulent news . . . and take steps to ensure that they are not able to sustain themselves and profit from access to advertising services on your platforms.”
Social media networks also should “develop additional ways to offer users content that may differ from their own beliefs or views, in ways that are transparent to users and sustain their control over what they see.”
News outlets should “emphasize transparency of operations as a high priority, including finding new ways to be more open with readers about the journalistic and editing processes and the handling of errors.”
News outlets also should “clearly label different types of content as reporting, commentary, opinion, analysis, etc.”