The words in the graphic above are generally understood to mean a breaking new story — something hot, timely and worthy of immediate attention. But when these words are presented in stark simplicity, they have an ominous second meaning. That meaning is literally breaking.the news, breaking the press, breaking the media. Among the controversial and some said questionable acts of the Obama administration was the actual incarceration of reporters who would not reveal sources.
Snakes
But Obama never called the media snakes, using language last employed during the Rwanda genocide.
That is what trump called the press and media last Saturday in Harrisburg in a televised rant that lasted for 11 minutes. No president prior to Trump has made almost a sport of attacking the media, sometimes focusing on particular reporters and media figures and executives, other times in blanket denunciations.
The culture of oppression
A leader will inevitably choose those who approve of his positions and echo not merely his words but his style. Add to this the fact that Trump has gone out of his way to curry favor among law enforcement agencies, playing in a demagogic way on legitimate dangers peace officers face all the time.
Ganging up
In addition, Trump has prevailed on local police to gang up with Border Patrol and ICE people in chasing down undocumented residents in the United States, many of whom have no hint of a criminal record.
He has threatened to withhold federal aid to police departments who do not play along. This is in the context of consistent court rulings calling his immigration policies unconstitutional.
Now Tom Price is involved
The arrest of a reporter for "persistently" asking questions might be seen as oversensitivity, but in a Trump-infused culture where there is active hatred against non-white and non-Christian elements, there is always a suspicion that there is more involved.
Oddly enough the culture that is being served is one in which the leader regards himself as above the law. The incident is described in the New York Times story noted in the tweet below.
Reporter Arrested in West Virginia After Persistently Asking Questions of Tom Price https://t.co/wJyPQ1JDfX
— Stephen C. Rose (@stephencrose) May 10, 2017
tom price is Trump's recently confirmed Secretary of Health and Human Services.
Dan Heyman is a 54-year-old reporter who has published in the New Tork Times and worked in public radio.
The story reads like a "he said-she said" spat. The arrest was seen as unusual and some saw it as a definite tightening of control over the press, Will Trump be asked about this? If so his track record suggests he could use the occasion for further complaints about aggressive media efforts to get explanations about his policies.
The message seems to be, reporters beware.
