White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders succeeded in upsetting the press again by refusing to admit that the media is not an enemy of the people.
One reporter, in particular, had his nose tweaked out of joint more than the others. Yes, we’re talking about CNN’s Chief White House Correspondent Jim Acosta. In fact, Acosta was so offended, he called for a protest – which never happened, of course.
Jim “Crybaby” Acosta
“I walked out of the end of that briefing because I am totally saddened by what just happened,” Acosta said. “Sarah Sanders was repeatedly given a chance to say the press is not the enemy and she wouldn’t do it.”
No, she wouldn’t. Instead, she let them have it by listing all of the ways the media has gone out of its way to harass the Trump administration, herself included:
“As far as I know, I’m the first press secretary in the history of the United States that’s required Secret Service protection,” Sanders said. “The media continues to ratchet up the verbal assault against the president and everyone in this administration and certainly we have a role to play. But the media has a role to play for the discourse in the country as well.”
Acosta said everyone should get bumper stickers and buttons and instructed journalists to go out onto Pennsylvania Avenue “like the people who chant ‘CNN sucks’ and ‘fake news’,” and chant ‘we’re not the enemy of the state.’”
Facts vs. Feelings
Freedom of speech and the right to one’s opinion doesn’t just belong to select individuals. Besides, as a professional reporter, Acosta should know better than to flaunt his feelings. His job is to report the facts, not cry that someone hurt his feelings or wouldn’t declare a statement he didn’t like as false.
Dave Shuster, managing editor of 124 News, didn’t care for Acosta’s attitude either, according to one tweet:
“Hey Jim @acosta, the job of a true journalist is not to be sad or happy by what happens in a press briefing room. It is to ask questions and report facts about what was said/not said. Your feelings, antics, + self promotion are hurting journalism, not helping it. Enough.”
Amen, Shuster.
Like a dog after a meaty bone, Acosta refused to give up. He repeatedly interrupted the press secretary and would not listen to the examples she provided. When she wouldn’t back down, Acosta took to Twitter and wherever else he could to bemoan his woes.
“I’m tired of this,” he said. “It is not right. It is not fair. It is unamerican to come out here and call the press the enemy of the people.”
Shuster had something to say about that as well:
So you think the others who stayed in the briefing room were being un-american? Many journalists are sick of being lied to and insulted. But they have the guts and integrity to stay there, report the facts, + not become part of the story. @acosta gave #trump a victory today. https://t.co/OB5XY6yFgJ
— David Shuster (@DavidShuster) August 3, 2018
Time to Grow Up
Grow up, Acosta. When has the media ever been popular? It’s true that if you’re doing your job right – which means reporting the facts without opinions or feelings – you’re going to make people mad. However, it’s also true that the people’s confidence in the media has taken a nose dive, and for good reason. It’s not because President Trump accused certain outlets of producing ‘fake news’. It’s because the people have seen it for themselves and are tired of it.
If you want to gain the trust of the people, then go back to the basics. Report the facts and keep your emotions and feelings completely out of the equation. Let the truth speak for itself.
