Donald Trump (AP image)
The White House launched a new page on its website on Friday called “media offenders,” listing news sites, reporters, and stories it claims misled the public.The top publications cited as “media offenders of the week” were the Boston Globe, CBS News, and the Independent. Reporters from those outlets were singled out for stories about a controversial video released last week by six Democratic lawmakers.The lawmakers, all of whom are military veterans or former intelligence officials, reminded service members they are not obligated to follow illegal orders.In a video posted online last week, the lawmakers said, “Right now, the threats to our Constitution aren’t just coming from abroad, but from right here at home.””Our laws are clear: You can refuse illegal order. … You must refuse illegal orders. No one has to carry out orders that violate the law or our Constitution,” they added.US President Donald Trump called the lawmakers’ actions “seditious” and “treason.”What the ‘media offenders’ page looks likeThe page included an “offender hall of shame” with a list of stories the White House considers mistruths.Each story is explained and categorized under labels such as “lie,” “omission of context,” or “left-wing lunacy.” The White House described the site as “a record of the media’s false and misleading stories flagged by The White House.”The page also features a leaderboard of news sites the administration claims reported stories incorrectly.The Washington Post tops the list, followed by MSNBC (recently rebranded as MS NOW), CBS News, CNN, The New York Times, Politico, and The Wall Street Journal.There’s also a section with “repeat offenders” with outlets that the Trump administration objects to.Trump administration escalates fight with media outletsAll outlets on the leaderboard, along with others, turned in their Pentagon press badges last month after rejecting new rules imposed by the Department of Defense.The rules would leave journalists vulnerable to expulsion if they reported information, classified or otherwise, that had not been approved by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth for release.Trump has also been involved in court battles against The New York Times, CBS News, ABC News, The Wall Street Journal, and the Associated Press over the past year.Trump widens hostilities against female reportersThe administration’s broader conflict with media outlets has also taken a personal turn. In recent weeks, Trump has faced criticism for insulting female reporters.This week, the president called a female reporter from The Times “ugly” after she co-wrote a data-driven report about the president showing signs of aging.The president, who is 79, drew fire two weeks ago after telling a Bloomberg reporter to be “quiet, piggy” when she tried to ask a follow-up question about disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein’s emails. Go to Source
