Journalists Committee defends CNN journalist vetoed by Trump

The Committee for the Protection of Journalists (CPJ) on Thursday asked the White House to restore the access credentials of CNN correspondent Jim Acosta, who was barred from entering this site after an exchange with the President of the United States. , Donald Trump.

"Journalists must be able to do their job without fear of a series of difficult questions that will provoke retaliationSaid CPJ Advocacy Director Courtney Radsch.

Radsch added that "the White House should immediately restore the press card of Jim Acosta and refrain from punishing journalists by revoking their access. It is not like that that a free press works. "

The White House decision was made after Acosta asked uncomfortable questions to Trump on Wednesday, which ended the exchange to give voice to other reporters. Acosta continued to ask questions and the two men stopped several times.

A White House scholar attempted to remove Acosta's microphone, while Trump ended the exchange by insulting the journalist, whom he described as "a rude and malicious person," and claiming that when CNN discloses "false news", they are "the enemy of the city."

Press Secretary Sarah Sanders said that the suspension of Acosta's pass was for "touching a young woman who was just trying to do her internship at the White House".

CPJ recalled that the incident had occurred "in the midst of an atmosphere of great hostility towards the media in the United States," after CNN itself had been targeted last week for sending an explosives package.

In addition, protesters showed up Wednesday night at the home of Tucker Carlson, presenter of Fox News in Washington, DC, so the reporter called the police at his home.

"In the current climate, we hope that President Trump will stop insulting and denigrating journalists and the media, putting journalists at risk," Radsch said.

CPJ also noted that Sarah Sanders, press secretary at the White House, had sent a video of the incident to her Twitter account, which had apparently been changed.

According to Jonathan Albright, research director of the Tow Center for Digital Journalism at Columbia University, the video appears to have been altered to give the impression that Acosta's attempt to hold the microphone is aggressive. .

In the United States, several press freedom organizations have expressed their solidarity with Acosta and asked the White House to return their credentials to the journalist.

The White House Correspondents' Association called on the authorities to "immediately return to this action," while CNN said in a statement that the decision was a "retaliatory measure for difficult issues". ; Acosta.