Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

If Donald Trump Targets Journalists, Thank Obama (oldie, January 2016)
NY Times ^ | 12/30/2016 | James Risen

Posted on 11/07/2018 6:00:55 PM PST by God luvs America

If Donald J. Trump decides as president to throw a whistle-blower in jail for trying to talk to a reporter, or gets the F.B.I. to spy on a journalist, he will have one man to thank for bequeathing him such expansive power: Barack Obama.

Mr. Trump made his animus toward the news media clear during the presidential campaign, often expressing his disgust with coverage through Twitter or in diatribes at rallies. So if his campaign is any guide, Mr. Trump seems likely to enthusiastically embrace the aggressive crackdown on journalists and whistle-blowers that is an important yet little understood component of Mr. Obama’s presidential legacy.

Criticism of Mr. Obama’s stance on press freedom, government transparency and secrecy is hotly disputed by the White House, but many journalism groups say the record is clear. Over the past eight years, the administration has prosecuted nine cases involving whistle-blowers and leakers, compared with only three by all previous administrations combined. It has repeatedly used the Espionage Act, a relic of World War I-era red-baiting, not to prosecute spies but to go after government officials who talked to journalists.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections; US: Illinois; US: New York
KEYWORDS: 1stamendment; 911hijackers; antifa; atta; censorship; chicago; chicagotribune; clintonnonnews; cnn; dnctalkingpoint; dnctalkingpoints; espionageact; fbi; havel; illinois; jamesrisen; jimacosta; leakers; margaretsullivan; mediamonitors; mediawingofthednc; monitors; newsroommonitors; newyork; newyorkcity; newyorkslimes; newyorktimes; partisanmediashills; prague; presstitutes; risen; rosen; smearmachine; witchhunt

1 posted on 11/07/2018 6:00:55 PM PST by God luvs America
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: God luvs America

sorry- it was from December 2016, not January- mods please fix...thanks


2 posted on 11/07/2018 6:01:27 PM PST by God luvs America (63.5 million pay no income tax and vote for DemoKrats...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: God luvs America

Ask Frank Rosen how Obama handled freedom of the press.


3 posted on 11/07/2018 6:29:33 PM PST by HollyB
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: HollyB

was it frank rosen or james rosen?


4 posted on 11/07/2018 6:46:53 PM PST by God luvs America (63.5 million pay no income tax and vote for DemoKrats...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: God luvs America

And don’t forget that Obama wanted “monitors” in the news rooms. Even the NYT balked at that.


5 posted on 11/07/2018 7:22:54 PM PST by libertylover (2016 was a mini-revolution.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson