As one of the most respected journalists working these days, CNN correspondent and news anchor Christiane Amanpour feels that the news media establishment has a duty to protect the world from the potential catastrophe of a Donald Trump presidency.
At a time when voters in the United States are sharply divided along political lines, Amanpour appeared at an event to accept the Burton Benjamin Memorial Award, a special recognition given by the Committee to Protect Journalists for outstanding work performed towards the advancement of press freedom.
Amanpour gave an inspiring speech at the awards ceremony, and she did not hold back her concerns about what could happen to news media once President elect Trump moves to the White House to begin his mandate. As reported by the Public Broadcasting Service earlier in 2016, Trump believes that the First Amendment of the Constitution could benefit from opening up libel laws. The President elect mentioned this against a background of discussing whether journalists could be held liable for reporting the truth.
What is troubling about a potential Trump administration was illustrated by his first Twitter update after the election, when he suggested that nationwide protests were staged against him by professional agitators paid by news media outlets to organize riots. Amanpour is concerned that tweets like this one illustrate the mindset of the President elect, who is known to lash out against the media whenever an uncomfortable truth is reported about him.
Amanpour is calling on her fellow journalists to not be intimidated by Trump. She is warning against creating false moralities for fear of reprisal. She believes that reporting on hard news and investigating all dealings conducted by Trump within and outside the White House could very possibly derail his administration. Amanpour further believes that any attempt by Trump to silence his critics should be accurately and promptly reported.
The call to arms issued by Amanpour should not surprise anyone in the United States; after all, it was the hard work of dogged journalists that caused the impeachment of Richard Nixon decades ago for transgressions unbecoming a President of the United States. In the end, the truth may be Trump’s downfall, but it must be reported on.