‘Fake News Awards’ inilahad ni Trump

WASHINGTON (AFP) – Inilahad ni Donald Trump ang mga nagwagi sa kanyang much-touted ‘’Fake News Awards’’ nitong Miyerkules ng gabi, ilang oras matapos siyang akusahan ni Arizona Senator Jeff Flake, mula sa kanyang Republican party, ng paggamit ng Stalinist language para insultuhin at gipitin ang free press.

Inihayag ng Republican president ang kanyang top-ten list -- na kinabibilangan ng kanyang regular targets na CNN, The New York Times at The Washington Post – gamit ang kanyang preferred medium na Twitter, at ini-link ang listahan na inilathala sa website ng Republican Party, na nagcrash makalipas lamang ang ilang minuto ng kanyang malaking pasabog.

Sa follow-up tweets sa kanyang ‘’Fake News’’ announcement, nag-post si Trump na ‘’despite some very corrupt and dishonest media coverage, there are many great reporters I respect and lots of GOOD NEWS for the American people to be proud of!’’

‘’Together there is nothing we can’t overcome -- even a very biased media. We ARE Making America Great Again!’’

Binanggit na halimbawa sina Bashar al-Assad ng Syria, Rodrigo Duterte ng Pilipinas, o Nicolas Maduro ng Venezuela, na pawang gumamit ng terminong ‘’fake news’’ nitong mga nakalipas na buwan, inakusahan ni Flake si Trump ng paghihikayat sa brutal at authoritarian regimes para usigin ang press.

‘’This feedback loop is disgraceful, Mr President,’’ ani Flake. ‘’Not only has the past year seen an American president borrow despotic language to refer to the free press, but it seems he has now in turn inspired dictators and authoritarians with his own language.’’