• Journalists increasingly concerned for their safety at Trump rallies
    61 replies, posted
[img]http://i.imgur.com/VIPWduS.jpg[/img] [url]http://www.politico.com/story/2016/10/donald-trump-rallies-media-press-229778#ixzz4N2qXvnKA[/url] [quote]As the traveling press corps filed into Donald Trump’s rally here on Thursday night, a crowd of 15,000 people showered it in boos, chanting, “Tell the truth” and “CNN sucks.” A man standing directly in front of the press pen shouted that reporters were “puppets” and those near him joined in chanting the word. As the Republican nominee has resorted to more extreme denunciations of the press in recent days, his supporters have followed suit. Chants of “CNN sucks” have become commonplace at Trump's rallies this week and members of the traveling press were called “whores” and “press-titutes” as they filed out of a Thursday afternoon rally in West Palm Beach. Minutes before, Trump had accused reporters of participating in a vast globalist conspiracy against his campaign and American workers. Crowds that once booed and shouted at the press mainly at Trump’s prompting — when he would decry them as “dishonest” and “scum” or demand that television cameras pan his crowds — have now begun spontaneously targeting the press on their own, at a scale not yet seen in this campaign, or any in memory on American soil. Kindled by months of Trump’s relentless efforts to denigrate and discredit critical coverage of his campaign, the vitriol of his supporters is spilling over at a time when Trump is condemning an avalanche of reports about him allegedly sexually assaulting women or making lewd comments about them. In response, Trump is making increasingly conspiratorial claims about the relationship between reporters and his political opponents.[/quote] [url]http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/trailguide/la-na-trailguide-updates-donald-trump-declared-threat-to-press-1476449591-htmlstory.html[/url] [quote]As reporters left a Trump event on Thursday, the hostility had grown to the point where local law enforcement took the precaution of tasking police in riot gear to monitor the motorcade in which the press and campaign officials were riding as it left the event.[/quote] [media]https://twitter.com/RiegerReport/status/786678737165291520[/media] [media]https://twitter.com/KilloughCNN/status/786729728342364161[/media] The Committee to Protect Journalists, an NGO that usually focuses on authoritarian regimes, has taken the remarkable step of declaring that a Trump presidency would represent an 'unprecedented threat' to freedom of the press in America [url]https://cpj.org/2016/10/cpj-chairman-says-trump-is-threat-to-press-freedom.php[/url] [quote]Guaranteeing the free flow of information to citizens through a robust, independent press is essential to American democracy. For more than 200 years this founding principle has protected journalists in the United States and inspired those around the world, including brave journalists facing violence, censorship, and government repression. Donald Trump, through his words and actions as a candidate for president of the United States, has consistently betrayed First Amendment values. On October 6, CPJ's board of directors passed a resolution declaring Trump an unprecedented threat to the rights of journalists and to CPJ's ability to advocate for press freedom around the world. Since the beginning of his candidacy, Trump has insulted and vilified the press and has made his opposition to the media a centerpiece of his campaign. Trump has routinely labeled the press as "dishonest" and "scum" and singled out individual news organizations and journalists.[/quote]
The populist had always hated the media.
boo hoo. poor CNN.
Scale of the problems are up for debate but there is good reason not just trump supporters but everyone distrusts media more these days. CNN in particular does very clearly have a pretty extreme bias, but so does fox news even if they arent very loud this election because they hate their candidate. I think the consolidation of media companies into fewer and fewer massive corporations with their own interests and biases is probably the biggest threat to "freedom of the press". Individual journalists won't even realize their own organizations are operating under different motivations, its just easier not to be too paranoid and focus on your own job without looking too closely at your colleague's article talking about how there's actually nothing wrong with coal and why it was written. Maybe one day they write something that contradicts a message the parent company wanted to push and they didnt even realize it, then they get fired after failing to meet a mysteriously raised writing quota. its easy to just hire people with the same opinions and fire people with different ones without having to tell people "you must have this opinion in your articles".
It's funny how all we hear from Duterte supporters is that the media's a liberal conspiracy, too, and he's actively advocating the extrajudicial killing of undesirables such as drug users. I'm sure it's just a total coincidence, haha, right guys? :quotes: That being said, if American media was thrown into a crack in the ground and swallowed up forever, the resulting vaccum of lack of information would arguably be better. [URL="http://www.businessinsider.com/study-watching-fox-news-makes-you-less-informed-than-watching-no-news-at-all-2012-5"]Especially in the case of Fox News.[/URL]
[QUOTE=MightyLOLZOR;51203183]boo hoo. poor CNN.[/QUOTE] Yeah, boo hoo for people actually scared of being beaten up for doing their job, what babies! I hate CNN as much as the next guy but what the fuck?
[QUOTE=MightyLOLZOR;51203183]boo hoo. poor CNN.[/QUOTE] This is far more reaching than CNN. Trump is wanting to control the press which is fundamentally wrong and unconstitutional. If they post something mean about him he calls it fake and scum. That's his entire stance. He's shallow and a growing threat to the US
[QUOTE=Code3Response;51203209] He's shallow and a growing threat to the US[/QUOTE] Not really. Everything he's said is so outrageous, that it would never fly if he became president.
[QUOTE=MightyLOLZOR;51203183]boo hoo. poor CNN.[/QUOTE] yeah, freedom of press is gay who gives a fuck about those [B]crooked losers[/B]
Honestly I'm no fan of CNN as a media organization but these are real people we're talking about. They're just trying to do their job, film some b-roll, grab some interviews, etc, and they've basically been turned into symbols representing the corrupt/biased media Trump's been whining about lately. Frankly if Trump doesn't want to be villified by the media he should stop acting like a fucking baby. It's no secret that liberal and conservative media outlets like to bait candidates and spin stories. If he's unwilling to deal with this reality, he's got no business running for public office.
[QUOTE=MightyLOLZOR;51203217]Not really. Everything he's said is so outrageous, that it would never fly if he became president.[/QUOTE] "Guys ignore all the stupid shit he has said on the campaign trail to get people's support, he won't actually be allowed to do any of it, so it's all okay!" What.
Every leader who relies on obfuscation, misdirection and secrecy hates free press. A hallmark of authoritarian leader is that all dissenting voices must be silenced, costs be damned. Since democracy relies on functional opposition, you can reliably tell who holds anti-democratic values by calls of cracking down on political opposition and independent media.
[QUOTE=MightyLOLZOR;51203217]Not really. Everything he's said is so outrageous, that it would never fly if he became president.[/QUOTE] it's the most inane mentality to think he (or any president ever) would just go "this policy isn't getting support? better throw it in the trash and never ever speak of it again, instead of maybe changing things around a bit to make it more appealing"
[QUOTE=MightyLOLZOR;51203183]boo hoo. poor CNN.[/QUOTE] You do realise that this goes beyond CNN being a shite at news and it extends to [B]all[/B] journalists who are potentially critical of Trump, right? Trump has indicated before he is no friend of free speech and will eagerly do whatever it takes to censor any opposition to him. He would be extremely dangerous to journalists if he was in office.
[QUOTE=BlackMageMari;51203278]You do realise that this goes beyond CNN being a shite at news and it extends to [B]all[/B] journalists who are potentially critical of Trump, right? Trump has indicated before he is no friend of free speech and will eagerly do whatever it takes to censor any opposition to him. He would be extremely dangerous to journalists if he was in office.[/QUOTE] Trump likes and dislikes people based on how well they fulfill [I]his[/I] needs. Write a positive story about Trump, and you're a tremendous, tremendous, amazing, wonderful person. Write something negative, and you're a terrible, horrible, ugly, stupid, hateful person. That's why all this flattery that Trump showers his supporters with at rallies is bullshit. Trump loves everyone - until he doesn't. Frankly I'm reminded of that scene in Downfall when Hitler couldn't decide if his people were the divine master-race chosen by God, or the most pathetic scum of the earth. It's a pathological, black-and-white way of thinking that doesn't tolerate complexity or ambiguity.
[QUOTE=MightyLOLZOR;51203217]Not really. Everything he's said is so outrageous, that it would never fly if he became president.[/QUOTE] If it was seen as outrageous enough, he wouldn't be president in the first place. A Trump administration would wreck so much unnecessary havoc. I'm just glad it's unlikely to happen.
[QUOTE=MightyLOLZOR;51203217]Not really. Everything he's said is so outrageous, that it would never fly if he became president.[/QUOTE] This has been an outrageous year, from clown hysteria to exploding phones to government sanctioned murder of drug users in the Philippines. Furthermore, despite the outlandishness of his rhetoric, given the support he has and the office he is running for we should err on the side of caution and take the situation seriously.
[QUOTE=phaedon;51203288]A Trump administration would wreck so much unnecessary havoc. I'm just glad it's unlikely to happen.[/QUOTE] And a Clinton administration won't? We're fucked regardless.
Journalists deserve hate when the networks they work for are biased and backed by presidential candidates. Nothing to do with the press at trump rallies as far as I'm concerned. They are just biased propaganda machines that need to be reformed. It's not news anymore. Just propaganda.
[QUOTE=MightyLOLZOR;51203304]And a Clinton administration won't? We're fucked regardless.[/QUOTE] Trying to speak objectively here, I really think anyone who thinks Clinton is equally bad for the state of the country as Trump is completely delusional. Like I'm sorry, I don't love Clinton but they're in two completely different worlds.
[QUOTE=MightyLOLZOR;51203304]And a Clinton administration won't? We're fucked regardless.[/QUOTE] At least Clinton recognizes the existence of climate change. And is committed to overturning Citizens United. Although God knows what she'll replace it with.
[QUOTE=MightyLOLZOR;51203304]And a Clinton administration won't? We're fucked regardless.[/QUOTE] How will Clinton wreck so much unnecessary havoc? Especially enough to be comparable to Trump?
[QUOTE=Socram;51203316]Trying to speak objectively here, I really think anyone who thinks Clinton is equally bad for the state of the country as Trump is completely delusional. Like I'm sorry, I don't love Clinton but they're in two completely different worlds.[/QUOTE] I'm not saying they're equally as bad. They're both bad though.
[QUOTE=MightyLOLZOR;51203304]And a Clinton administration won't? We're fucked regardless.[/QUOTE] no, it won't her policies are mostly very reasonable with a couple that are poor, whereas Trump's policies are mostly awful, with many that are outright batshit, and a couple that are reasonable.
[QUOTE=MightyLOLZOR;51203304]And a Clinton administration won't? We're fucked regardless.[/QUOTE] Clinton may do some bad things while in power, but I have yet to see any indication that she'll wreak havoc. And let's be real here, you may as well be comparing a particularly cold winter to an ice age. You are not equally fucked.
[QUOTE=GrizzlyBear;51203328]How will Clinton wreck so much unnecessary havoc? Especially enough to be comparable to Trump?[/QUOTE] TPP
[QUOTE=MightyLOLZOR;51203217]Not really. Everything he's said is so outrageous, that it would never fly if he became president.[/QUOTE] Also this is totally bullshit, maybe his most awful policies will have trouble getting through, but stuff like his "cut taxes for the rich even more and barely cut taxes for the poor" tax plan, and his defund the EPA crap could easily get through with Republicans. Plus, don't forget he'd have executive orders.
I'm still waiting on people to start a Luggenpresse chant.
This is a network that built itself on live war reporting, and they're getting nervous about [I]this[/I]?
I was at the rally in Wilkesbarre PA. The crowd started chanting CNN sucks hours before the rally started and before Trump showed up. I never sensed there was any actual violence about to take place. Everyone was smiling and waving their signs at the cameras it reminded me of a football game. CNN turned off their cameras a few times when the chanting started and once when Trump referenced them. And just like they say in the articles the cameras never panned the crowd. Only a handful of bloggers or guys with hand helds did it and they weren't with the press corp. Like Trump rallies are literally like football games. The crowd would do the wave from time to time and break out into chanting. Overall I never felt any danger. Even the like four cops I saw were just laughing and chilling. We had one protestor outside. All he did was hold a sign and shout things and everyone left him alone. Than he tried to climb ontop of a planter box to get higher and a cop told him to get down and after that I think he got embarrassed and left on his own.
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