White House Press Secretary Stephanie Grisham criticized CNN for an error on a graphic, and the network shot back a blistering reply.
The White House Press Secretary tweeted:
Hi @CNN, I know you guys are busy analyzing lines on a map, but perhaps you use your time to study up on U.S. geography? pic.twitter.com/kVgifHfPK4
— Stephanie Grisham (@PressSec) September 5, 2019
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CNN’s PR team responded:
Thanks, Stephanie. Yes, we made a mistake (which we fixed in less than 30 seconds). And now we are admitting it. You all should try it sometime.
— CNN Communications (@CNNPR) September 5, 2019
The exchange has resulted in outrage among the Fox News crowd and handwringing among corporate journalists who are debating whether CNN’s response was appropriate.
It was the White House that brought up Trump’s federal crime of spreading a fake weather forecast, and the CNN response was directed toward the fact that the White House refuses to admit that Trump was wrong. Hurricane Dorian was never going to hit Alabama. Trump is obsessed with a hurricane hitting Alabama for some reason, which is probably related to him getting to play the hero for as many of his deep-red state supporters as possible ahead of the 2020 election.
Trump administration has targeted CNN from the moment that the president was sworn into office. Objectivity doesn’t mean being a punching bag. The flip side of the coin is that Trump wants to fight with the press to distract the nation from the actions that he is taking in office.
If more journalists took this tone in covering Trump, the White House would be in real 2020 danger, because if the facts are debatable mentality vanished from the media, the truth would come first, and Trump might find himself on the fast track to 2020 defeat.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
