The White House introduced a media “Hall of Shame” as Trump intensified his attacks on what he calls fake news. The portal appeared on the government’s official website and delivered another strong blow to press freedom in the United States. The White House declared that the site, which officials update regularly, prevents any alleged hoax, anonymous claim, or partisan smear from disappearing.
Portal Targets Major News Outlets
The portal labeled The Washington Post as “Offender of the week” and criticized numerous outlets, including The New York Times, CNN, CBS News, and The Independent. The government site detailed specific claims attributed to each publication and organized them into several categories. It included Associated Press and Reuters while accusing one of bias and omission of context and the other of lying. Other listed categories included circular reporting, failure to report, false claim, malpractice, mischaracterisation, misrepresentation, and left-wing lunacy. Matt Murray, executive editor of the Post, condemned the move and said the government intentionally targeted journalists for exercising a protected right. He affirmed that the Post would continue to report accurately for the entire country.
Concerns Over Press Freedom and Democracy
The site notably excluded conservative outlets from its accusations. The Media Research Centre supported the launch and argued that Republican leaders must identify media outlets they view as political opponents. Experts speaking to DW warned that such rhetoric endangers journalists and threatens press freedom and democracy in the United States. The website’s creation came as Trump escalated his fight against what he labels fake news and faced increasing criticism for insulting journalists, often women, calling them ugly inside and out, stupid, and piggy.
