In a moment of absolute candor on CNN’s Reliable Sources, David Zurawik of the Baltimore Sun laid into President Barack Obama and set the record straight about who’s a bigger threat to the press. As many members of the media whine about Donald Trump giving them a piece of his mind, Zurawik guided people down memory lane and declared, “What happened to the press under Obama was really deadly.”
Zurawik did agree that Trump was a threat to the press, his position to prosecute publications he didn’t like being an example. “But so far, nothing rivals what President Obama did to James Risen, did to James Rosen, and did to the AP,” he stated to the rest of the panel, “Trying to criminalize reporting.”
He reminded the viewers that the Obama administration served Associated Press writer James Risen and Fox News’s James Rosen with subpoenas to locate their sources for leaking information to the press. Attorney General Eric Holder’s order said they believed Rosen may have violated the Espionage Act and declared him a “co-conspirator” to the leaking party. In late 2014 Holder said he regretted the incident but only wished he’d used better language.
Quoting Risen, Zurawik said, “Ask Risen what he called him. He said he's the biggest threat -- the Obama administration was the biggest threat to the press in a generation.”
Some may not remember Obama’s crusade to kick Fox News out of the White House press corps, but Zurawik did:
Think back to 2010 what he tried to do to Fox, when he didn't let them into some briefings and when he launched a campaign on Reliable Sources before your time, against Fox trying, cut it from the herd and delegitimize it. A lot of people might feel it should be, but that's not the argument.
The executive does not say what a legitimate member of the press is, and he tried to do that. That's much more dangerous.
Although it didn’t come up, there was a time then the administration wanted to implant federal government monitors in newsrooms to “study” how and why certain items were reported on. The Federal Communications Commission claimed it wanted to make sure the “critical information needs” of the public were being met, but after serious outcry the plan was abandoned in early 2014.
Transcript below:
CNN
Reliable Sources
June 5, 2016
11:20:57 AM EasternDAVID ZURAWIK: Let me jump in about something that I think would go a long way in helping conservatives feel better about this.
If, when we say what a threat Trump is to the press, and he is, all the things you listed I agree. But so far, nothing rivals what President Obama did to James Risen, did to James Rosen, and did to the AP. Trying to criminalize reporting. They called Rosen a criminal coconspirator. Eric Holder wrote that to get the subpoena. They subpoenaed Risen. Ask Risen what he called him. He said he's the biggest threat -- the Obama administration was the biggest threat to the press in a generation.
Admit that, as we denounce Trump, and conservatives will feel better about this. We can't let him have a -- you know, now President Obama's very nice to the press cause he's thinking about legacy, and it's donned on him we're going to be writing that legacy, at least in the first or second draft. But I'm serious.
What happened to the press under Obama was really deadly. And when you talk about delegitimizing -- and I agree with Katrina. She's absolutely right. Think back to 2010 what he tried to do to Fox when he didn't let them into some briefings and when he launched a campaign on Reliable Sources before your time, against Fox trying, cut it from the herd and delegitimize it. A lot of people might feel it should be, but that's not the argument.
The executive does not say what a legitimate member of the press is, and he tried to do that. That's much more dangerous.
