The Democratic campaign proved to be correct with Russians that sought to subvert the USA through postings online.
When President Trump employes the idea of "Fake News" he is taking a legitimate complaint by a major US political party and plotting his own propaganda. The "Fake News" that originally was addressed by the DNC received attention through congressional hearings featuring "Facebook's CEO."
President Trump can't simply pull up the words "Fake News" without validating the fact it actually is. Congress and Facebook took this issue seriously and didn't use it as a campaign slogan.
What is even more worrisome is the insistence by President Trump press credentials are in the balance. That is being stated without any proof as to that statement and leans heavily in the progression of propaganda taking hold in the USA. If ever credentials need to be reviewed by Trump's FCC it should begin with FOX News, the propaganda arm of the RNC.
Given the strong use of media by Trump, the US Senate and House should be holding hearings on "Fake News." In the Senate it is "Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Communications Technology, Innovation, and the Internet i"
When threats are made by a President in regard to credentials of the free press in the USA, the legislative branch really should investigate the policies being toyed with by the FCC and take testimony from the media industry, including journalists both domestic and foreign.
Other countries sincerely struggle with a free and pluralistic press. One that is unbiased for the people to understand. The USA currently does not have that issue as much as other countries, including Russia. My sincerest worry is that by removing credentials, the news vital to the American people will become fragmented with conflicting information and views. The press will then be used to serve the politicians and plutocrats if that is not the same thing.
Congress needs to continue to hold hearings about "Fake News" and determine the migration of false facts into the American media. I realize the Pakistani example of disastrous pressure on the media seems extreme, but, the point is when the President of the USA begins to make threats to journalists, it is time to pay attention to our freedoms guaranteed under the First Amendment.
A free press can be lost if Americans don't act to protect it. Any threats are not important to the public unless it is to intimidate the free press. Any malpractice by the media can be brought to the FCC and such data is collected. Licenses and credentials can be impacted, but, it has to be through due process and not a dictatorship.
Do I believe threats being made can be turned into something else more threatening to the media as in Pakistan? We have heard about threats related to this administration once before. Anything is possible when power and not governance is exerted.
May 1, 2018
By Walid Tariq
A free and pluralist media (click here) is vital to the democratic functioning of a country. However, media actors in Pakistan continue to face challenges including physical assault, threats, illegal detention, arrest and at times murder.
At least 157 such cases were recorded across the country in last one year, according to a report by Freedom Network.
The media watchdog, in its Press Freedom Barometer 2018, documented cases against media freedom from May 1, 2017 to April 1, 2018.
The violations included killing of five journalists for their work, 11 cases of attempted kidnapping or abduction, 39 illegal detention and arrest, 58 physical assault and vandalism, and 23 occurrences of verbal and written threats....
