U.S. newspapers say to Trump: ‘We’re not enemies of the people’
NEW YORK — Newspapers from Maine to Hawaii pushed back against President Trump’s attacks on “fake news” Thursday with a coordinated series of editorials speaking up for a free and vigorous press — and, not surprisingly, Trump didn’t take it silently.
The Boston Globe, which set the campaign in motion by urging the unified voice, had estimated that some 350 newspapers would participate.
They did across the breadth of the country. The Portland (Maine) Press-Herald said a free and independent press is the best defense against tyranny, while the Honolulu StarAdvertiser emphasized democracy’s need for a free press.
“The true enemies of the people — and democracy — are those who try to suffocate truth by vilifying and demonizing the messenger,” wrote the Des Moines Register in Iowa.
The Fayetteville Observer said it hoped Trump would stop, “but we’re not holding our breath.”
On Thursday morning, Trump took to Twitter to denounce the effort, saying the Globe was in collusion with other newspapers.
He wrote: “THE FAKE NEWS MEDIA IS THE OPPOSITION PARTY. It is very bad for our Great Country .... BUT WE ARE WINNING!”
The Morning News of Savannah, Ga., said it was a confidant, not an enemy, to the people.
“Like any true friend, we don’t always tell you what you want to hear,” the Morning News said. ”And like any true friend, we refuse to mislead you.”
The New York Times added a pitch.
“If you haven’t already, please subscribe to your local papers,” said the Times, whose opinion section also summarized other editorials across the country. “Praise them when you think they’ve done a good job and criticize them when you think they could do better. We’re all in this together.”
That last sentiment made some journalists skittish. Some newspapers, including the Wall Street Journal and The San Francisco Chronicle, wrote editorials explaining why they weren’t joining the Globe’s effort. Chronicle Editorial Page Editor John Diaz said while he shares the Globe’s concerns, such a coordinated campaign “plays into Trump’s narrative that the media are aligned against him.” He will elaborate in his Sunday Insight column.