(WASHINGTON) – PEN America is calling on President Trump and his administration today to end their inflammatory attacks on a CNN journalist, Natasha Bertrand, and journalists and news organizations more broadly following reporting of an early intelligence assessment of the U.S. strikes in Iran. The president has publicly characterized the damage done by the strikes differently from the administration’s intelligence report cited by CNN and others. Journalists and news outlets should never be targeted simply for doing their jobs, especially when reporting on a matter of clear public interest using the administration’s own findings.
“Rather than addressing the substance of his own administration’s intelligence report, President Trump has resorted to vilifying journalists who accurately characterized that intelligence, sending a dangerous message that truth-telling is somehow unpatriotic,” said Tim Richardson, program manager for journalism and disinformation at PEN America. “These attacks erode public trust in fact-based reporting and embolden harassment against journalists who ask hard questions, especially in times of international conflict. The president’s personal attacks on CNN reporter Natasha Bertrand and on news organizations more broadly are irresponsible and reckless, and emblematic of his broader assault on press freedom. He must stop these inflammatory attacks and affirm the public’s right to independent, accurate journalism.”
About PEN America
PEN America stands at the intersection of literature and human rights to protect free expression in the United States and worldwide. We champion the freedom to write, recognizing the power of the word to transform the world. Our mission is to unite writers and their allies to celebrate creative expression and defend the liberties that make it possible. Learn more at pen.org.
Contact: Suzanne Trimel, [email protected], (201) 247-5057