Former Washington Post editor-in-chief Martin Barron said in a new interview that President-elect Trump's team will do “everything possible” to undermine trust in the news organization.
Barron's comments came after ABC settled a lawsuit with Trump over erroneous comments by anchor George Stephanopoulos, a landslide victory for Trump.
Days later, Trump filed a new lawsuit against the Des Moines Register and pollster Ann Seltzer.
Barron, a Pulitzer Prize winner and former Boston Globe editor, said further legal action could follow.
“Well, I think they have a lot of tools in their toolbox and they're going to use them all. That's already clear in the steps they're promising to take. “I think they're salivating for the opportunity to indict journalists whose purported national security information was leaked,” Baron told CNN's Christiane Amanpour. Highlighted by Mediaite.
“They will therefore do everything they can to undermine public trust in the press, further undermine public trust in the press, and undermine its economic sustainability,” Baron later said.
The Hill has reached out to President Trump's news team for comment.
Trump has a history of using lawsuits as a weapon against the media, and several press freedom advocates told The Hill earlier this week that the ABC lawsuit puts news outlets in Trump's legal crossfire. expressed concern that it could send the wrong message.
After a debate with Vice President Harris on ABC earlier this year, President Trump slammed the news networks and threatened to punish stations that were unfair to him. Outgoing Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel condemned the threat from Republican leaders.
“The FCC is not going to threaten to take away broadcast licenses just because the president doesn't like the content or coverage on the network,” Rosenworcel said. Podcast “Politico Tech”. “And the same First Amendment obligations apply to what is published online.”
