“That the First Amendment speaks separately of freedom of speech and freedom of the press is no constitutional accident, but an acknowledgement of the critical role played by the press in American society. The Constitution requires sensitivity to that role, and to the special needs of the press in performing it effectively,” former Justice Potter Stewart said in a 1978 Supreme Court ruling.
I got my first press pass three years ago at the start of my freshman year. It took me to city council and Board of Trustees meetings, an interview with the county commissioner and all the way to Washington for a national protest.
As my roles at The Post have progressed and changed, the press pass has followed me. Now, as editor-in-chief, I sit with a pile of press passes on my desk, hounding every reporter in the newsroom to understand the importance of always carrying one around.
I have carried my press pass with me as any journalist does, with the care and attention you give the most important item you have. When I’m old and gray, decades removed from my freshman year of college, that press pass will still hang from a hook on my wall.
On Sept. 18, President Donald Trump banned CNN, Politico and MS NOW from the White House grounds.
“Media Outlets shouldn’t be able to constantly write or report fiction and lies when they’re covering the President of the United States,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social. “Other Fake News Media Outlets to follow.”
In a move that cemented Trump’s stance against a free press, the White House launched “Trump TV,” a 24/7 YouTube channel operated and controlled by the Trump administration. As the channel comes directly from the Trump administration, it shows only what the administration wants to show, no matter if that means leaving out information that’s important for the public’s knowledge.
Following the ban, the White House press pool suspended its coverage of Trump. The pool is made up of five networks: ABC, CBS, CNN, Fox News and NBC. The networks provide television coverage of the president on rotation. The pool splits the financial responsibilities involved and distributes the coverage to other outlets worldwide.
Origins of the pool date back to Dwight Eisenhower’s presidency as a way to decide which White House correspondents got to report live from the road or the White House. Coverage of the president, no matter who it is, is a massive undertaking, and the collaboration of the White House press pool ensures news outlets are able to provide necessary reporting.
Following Trump’s CNN-MS NOW-Politico ban and subsequent lawsuit, the press pool suspended its coverage. Media outlets that benefit from the collaboration of the press pool decided to not take any audio or video from White House events in solidarity.
If you don’t work in the industry, if you’ve never set foot in a newsroom, it might be hard to understand how all of this works.
Although not one newsroom operates exactly the same, there are some universal procedures. Reporters have guidelines, editors set strict rules and facts are checked and checked again. Mistakes are made and subsequently corrected, but it’s a safe generalization to make that no reporter or news outlet is fabricating stories.
We’re in the business of news, not fiction and lies.
As a student journalist and the head of an independent newspaper, the unfortunately frequent attempts from our president are not discouraging. In fact, it’s quite the opposite.
Watching the press pool and national news outlets continue to operate business as normal, although it was never a question they wouldn’t, was a reminder of why I wanted to be a journalist in the first place. The past week should serve as a reminder to everyone, especially those in favor of limited press freedom, as sure as the sun rises and sets every day, news outlets will continue to provide free and truthful coverage of the world around them, including the government.
With a press pass comes great responsibility, and it cannot be taken away simply because the truth hurts someone’s feelings.
Elizabeth Talaga is a senior studying journalism at Ohio University. Please note the views and opinions of the columnist do not reflect those of The Post. Want to share your thoughts? Let Elizabeth know by emailing her at et029322@ohio.edu.
