There is no consistency to Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump’s banning journalists from his events, but it is clear that Trump has launched an unprecedented campaign against what he deems unfair or inaccurate reporting. His targets have included The Washington Post and Politico but not The New York Times although Trump was upset by the Times’ May 14 story on his relationship with women. (The New York Times, June 14, 2016, by Jim Rutenberg)
Without credentials news outlets operate at a disadvantage with their access limited. Besides Politico and the Post, Trump has blacklisted Unision, BuzzFeed, The Daily Beast, The Huffington Post, and The Des Moines Register. (CNN Money, June 14, 2016, by Tom Kludt and Brian Stelter)
Trump attempted to reassure the media by telling CNN that he would not revoke press credentials if elected. (CNN Money, June 14, 2016, by Brian Stelter)
The Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press released a statement about Trump’s treatment of the working media that read in part, “The responsibility of the press is to ask challenging questions of candidates and to fully explore their records, especially when those candidates are running for the most powerful position in the world. For Mr. Trump to challenge that role demonstrates a repudiation of a basic American value. We urge Mr. Trump to rescind this revocation of credentials, and in doing so to express his commitment to the right of the public to the free flow of information.” (RCFP, June 14, 2016, press release)