letter to the editor

The ‘excremental’ American news media

Tue, 05/30/2017 - 10:15am

 

Dear Editor:

Like the president, Phil Molvar is utterly dismissive of the Fourth Estate in our country, at least the “leftist” wing of it. I am guessing that he would include the four U.S. newspapers of record (The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and The Los Angeles Times) in his category of scatological journalism.

Which news sources does Mr. Molvar prefer? Those that are less critical of the current administration’s mendacity, mistakes, and mismanagement? Those that promote political, economic, and social agendas pushed by the candidate who penned reporters into corrals at his rallies, threatening to turn his mobs loose on them? The one who, “through his words and actions … has consistently betrayed First Amendment values” (Sandra Rowe, chair of the Committee to Protect Journalists)? The one who lost the popular election by nearly 3 million votes and who won the electoral college with the help of Wikileaks and the Russian government?

The free and independent press is our last bastion against these assaults on truth, decency and rule of law. The legislative branch has been obsequious in its cooperation with the president and its reluctance to serve as a check on executive power. The integrity of the judicial branch has been attacked; federal judges have been insulted by the White House on several occasions and even threatened by the president, who tweeted darkly that any future terrorist attacks on the U.S. would be their fault, because they would not accede to his unconstitutional travel bans.

Had it not been for journalists, “the enemy of the people” and “among the most dishonest human beings on Earth” (Donald Trump), our national security advisor would still be an agent of the Turkish government, a paid speaker for Russian companies, and the subject of FBI and other investigations.

Bill Hammond

Trevett