US media hits back at Donald Trump over attacks on 'fake news'
News organisations across the US have united to condemn Donald Trump’s attack on the media.
Nearly 350 newspaper and other organisations are thought to have published a co-ordinated series of editorials condemning the US President’s attacks on “fake news”.
The Boston Globe invited its fellow publications to join calls for “an end to President Trump’s sustained assault on the #FreePress” through editorials with the newspaper’s op-ed editor Marjorie Pritchard saying nearly 350 had pledged to participate.
The Globe editorial board called for an end to President Trump’s sustained assault on the #FreePress. Hundreds of publishers around the US answered that call https://t.co/XpgjyrODMp pic.twitter.com/7lnSTlE6Sh
— The Boston Globe (@BostonGlobe) August 15, 2018
In St Louis, the Post-Dispatch called journalists “the truest of patriots”, while the Chicago Sun-Times said it believes most Americans know Mr Trump is talking nonsense.
The Fayetteville Observer said it hopes Mr Trump will stop making such accusations, “but we’re not holding our breath”, adding: “Rather, we hope all the president’s supporters will recognise what he’s doing – manipulating reality to get what he wants.”
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The New York Times joined in the movement, saying: “If you haven’t already, please subscribe to your local papers.
“Praise them when you think they’ve done a good job and criticise them when you think they could do better. We’re all in this together.”
But The Wall Street Journal, which said it was not participating, noted in a column by James Freeman that the Boston Globe’s campaign went against the independence that editorial boards claim to seek.
The US president however doubled down on his criticism on Twitter calling the media the ‘opposition party’.
THE FAKE NEWS MEDIA IS THE OPPOSITION PARTY. It is very bad for our Great Country….BUT WE ARE WINNING!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 16 August 2018
There is nothing that I would want more for our Country than true FREEDOM OF THE PRESS. The fact is that the Press is FREE to write and say anything it wants, but much of what it says is FAKE NEWS, pushing a political agenda or just plain trying to hurt people. HONESTY WINS!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) 16 August 2018