By SYDNEY MANNING
Staff Writer
After doing his job, and asking questions, Jim Acosta the chief White House correspondent for CNN, got his press pass, or “hard pass, revoked. This means that he was no longer allowed on the ground of the White House. Since Acosta is CNN’s chief White House correspondent, getting his pass revoked is a very big deal.
On Nov 7, Acosta tweeted, “I’ve just been denied entrance to the [White House]. Secret Service just informed me I cannot enter the WH grounds for my 8pm hit.”
Citizens of the United States are able to practice free speech, under the first amendment. As a journalist under the first amendment, it is Acosta’s right to practice free speech. Acosta’s pass getting revoked was a direct action of, “…an intense verbal clash at a news conference earlier in the day,” according to the New York Times.
At this press conference, Acosta was asking President Trump challenging questions, which is a part of the job of a journalist. It’s what they have to do. Nobody gets the important details from asking soft questions.
After President Trump identified Acosta’s question, their debate become heated. Acosta repeatedly confronted President Trump’s classification of an invasion, as referring to a Central American migrant caravan.
previously served as the national political correspondent for CNN.
In response, President Trump retaliated with, “Honestly, I think you should let me run the country — you run CNN.”
The White House Correspondents’ Association, an organization of journalists who cover the White House and the U.S. President, called this “unacceptable” and “[urged] the White House to immediately reverse this weak and misguided action.”
If the president runs the country without responding to difficult questions and stressful situations, is he really running the country? Without the checks and balances the media provides, the power of the President could be blown way out of proportion. How are voters supposed to make informed decisions without information on politicians and government officials from the media?
Citizens have a right to know, and a need to know. The have a right to know what elected officials are doing. They have a need to know about what elected officials are doing, because it helps them make informed decisions at the polls and gives them a chance to form opinions. What is a democracy without informed voters?
Press Secretary Sarah Sanders tweeted a string of tweets on Nov.7, about Acosta’s pass being revoked, because he put his hands on a female intern, while she was trying to take the microphone away from him at the press conference.
Sanders tweets consisted of how President Trump believes in a free press, and that he welcomes tough questions. Seeing the way he reacted to tough questions at this press conference, one may question the factual accuracy of this tweet. Another tweet talked about Acosta’s behavior at the press conference and how it was unacceptable. The last two tweets said that only CNN would attack the President, and that CNN being proud of Acosta’s behavior shows, “…their outrageous disregard for everyone, including young women, who work in this Administration.”
In a statement, CNN said that this allegation is false and that Sander’s lied. CNN went on to say that the reason behind Acosta’s pass being revoked was because of the questions he asked at the press conference. Review of the video, and statements from journalists in attendance, backed up CNN’s statement, that Acosta did not put his hands on the female intern.
President Trump would never treat a FOX News White House correspondent like this. Trump’s relationship is much better with FOX, than CNN. Trump frequently quotes FOX News, while he usually criticizes CNN. From a different perspective, this is a classic case of favoritism. President Trump is treating FOX News with more flavor than CNN.
According to CNN, Timothy J. Kelly, the judge in the case, sided with them, “…and issued a temporary restraining order…thereby forcing the White House to restore his press pass for 14 days, the administration continued to threaten his access.”
Kelly sided with Acosta and CNN, under the fifth amendment, because it seems that the government did not follow due process before banning Acosta.
