Two news organizations make mistakes and correct them; in the wake, President Trump Twitter-condemns CNN (and New York Times, Washington Post, ABC, NBC, and CBS) as entirely “fake news.” And, Sarah Palin files a defamation suit saying the New York Times didn’t do enough in correcting and apologizing for an editorial written after the Congressional baseball practice shooting that incorrectly linked the 2011 gunning down of a Congresswomen to a map a Palin PAC circulated showing certain electoral districts under crosshairs. Also in the aftermath, the deputy White House press secretary attacks the media – then urges journalists to watch a video by a conservative who works undercover while noting twice that she can’t vouch for its accuracy. At the same briefing, a Playboy reporter challenges the presidential spokeswoman on her “inflammatory” use of the podium to undermine faith in any information source other than the president. Then, in another Twitter exchange, the president claims the New York Times doesn’t call to confirm story facts, and a reporter tweets back about how many in the administration he called. And faked Time magazine covers picturing Donald Trump are found framed on the walls of at least five of his golf clubs. -Dru Menaker, Chief Operating Officer

 

DARE: Daily Alert on Rights and Expression

The most pressing threats and notable goings-on in free expression today

U.S.

A Costly Retraction for CNN and an Opening for Trump
CNN was forced to apologize after retracting a story on its website that a Russian bank linked to a close ally of President Trump was under Senate investigation. Three high-ranking journalists at the network resigned. But the mea culpa did not stop Mr. Trump and his supporters from seizing on the mistake, condemning CNN and claiming it as evidence that other major news organizations were conspiring against the administration. On Twitter, Mr. Trump wrote that “they caught Fake News CNN cold” and asked, “What about all the other phony stories they do?”
NEW YORK TIMES

Sarah Palin Sues New York Times
Sarah Palin, former Alaska governor and vice presidential candidate filed a lawsuit against the Times, alleging that a recent editorial falsely portrayed her as responsible for inciting the 2011 shooting of Democratic Rep. Gabby Giffords.The Times issued a correction a day later, noting that “no such link was established” between Palin’s ad and the shooting, and that the ad in question “depicted electoral districts, not individual Democratic lawmakers, beneath stylized cross hairs.”
CNN

Sarah Huckabee Sanders Lambastes Fake News — and Then Promotes A Journalist Accused of Deceptive Videos
Sarah Huckabee Sanders attacked the media for inaccuracies and then turned around and urged them to watch a new video from conservative undercover video journalist James O’Keefe, who has stood accused of deceptive editing and tactics. O’Keefe’s video features a CNN health and medical producer apparently complaining about the cable channel’s coverage of the Russia investigation and saying it’s being done for ratings.
THE WASHINGTON POST

Playboy’s White House Correspondent Hits Back At Sarah Huckabee Sanders For Calling Russia Inevestigation A ‘Hoax’
Playboy’s White House correspondent confronted Deputy Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders at the daily press briefing, in a heated exchange after she called the Russia investigation a “hoax” and slammed CNN for retracting a story. But Playboy’s Brian Karem was having none of it. “Does the President actually expect us not to report on stories of a foreign country trying to influence the presidential election?” he interjected.
NEWSWEEK

Trump Again Attacks New York Times as ‘Fake News Joke!’
Trump’s post to Twitter appeared to come in response to a Times story published Tuesday headlined “On Senate health bill, Trump falters in closer’s role.” Glenn Thrush, one of two Times reporters whose byline appears on the story, responded to the president on Twitter, urging him to “Call your office, sir. @nytimes spoke to many, many, many members of your staff yesterday – & ran everything by your team.”
POLITICO

Fake News: Trump Golf Resorts Display Fake Time Magazine Cover
A copy emblazoned with Mr Trump’s image has reportedly been hanging in five of his golf clubs. And according to Time, it’s fake news. Time has confirmed to the BBC that the cover is a copy. In fact, there was no March 1, 2009 issue of Time, and Mr Trump did not feature on the magazine’s cover that year. A spokesperson said the magazine had asked the Trump Organization to remove the fake cover.
BBC

Facebook hires thousands to launch crackdown on ‘hate speech’
The California-based company said it will be hiring an additional 3,000 people to its community operations team, with the aim of deleting nearly 66,000 posts deemed to be offensive each week. The company rejected the idea that it is trying to censor what their users post, and said failing to remove content that other users feel is offensive would not be “living up to the values in our Community Standards.”
WASHINGTON EXAMINER

 
Global

China Releases Dissident Liu Xiaobo to Die in Freedom *PEN Case List
China has rejected global criticism over its treatment of Nobel laureate and government critic Liu Xiaobo. Liu was released on medical parole on Monday, suffering from terminal cancer which his relatives say is too far advanced to cure. Human rights activists are now trying to get Liu Xiaobo and his wife Liu Xia out of the country so he can be treated.
RFI

Iran: Musician and Filmmaker Brothers Released From Prison, Await Appeal *PEN Case List
Iranian brothers and artists, musician Mehdi Rajabian and filmmaker Hossein Rajabian, were imprisoned on charges of “insulting the sacred” and “propaganda against the state” through the production and promotion of underground music. The brothers’ case has been sent to the Appeal Chamber of the Revolutionary Court under Article 134 and their lawyer hopes that after the ruling the Rajabians will officially be released.
FREEMUSE

Media Group Backs Al Jazeera Amid Closure Calls
A trade association representing more than 80 media companies has voiced its support for Al Jazeera amid a Saudi-led campaign to have the network shut down. Al Jazeera has described the Saudi-led campaign as “nothing but an attempt to silence the freedom of expression in the region and to suppress people’s right to information and the right to be heard”.
AL JAZEERA

Philippines May Get New Law: Sing National Anthem With Spirit or Face Prison Time
If the bill, which will be considered by the Senate, is approved and signed into law, a failure to sing the anthem, “Lupang Hinirang,” with sufficient energy would be punishable by up to year in prison and a fine of 50,000 to 100,000 pesos, or about $1,000 to $2,000. A second offense would include both a fine and prison time, and violators would be penalized by “public censure” in a newspaper.
NEW YORK TIMES

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