Trump thought it would be cute to create the “MOST DISHONEST & CORRUPT MEDIA AWARDS OF THE YEAR,” but the decision already blew up in his face.
A week ago, Trump tweeted:
I will be announcing THE MOST DISHONEST & CORRUPT MEDIA AWARDS OF THE YEAR on Monday at 5:00 o’clock. Subjects will cover Dishonesty & Bad Reporting in various categories from the Fake News Media. Stay tuned!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 3, 2018
The Committee to Protect Journalists didn’t find humor in Trump’s awards, and the group responded by bestowing Trump with the title of “world’s most oppressive leader toward press freedom.”
The title is the organization’s top prize for “overall achievement in undermining global press freedom.” Trump started a trend among dictatorial world leaders this year when they saw the effectiveness of his “Fake News” claims. Leaders around the world have since adopted Trump’s “Fake News” angle and used it to discredit journalists in their respective countries.
Sen. McCain pointed out how Trump’s “Fake News” rhetoric led to a record number of journalist imprisonments around the globe. Sen. McCain tweeted in December:
.@pressfreedom's annual report shows record # of journalists imprisoned worldwide in 2017, including 21 on "fake news" charges. @POTUS must understand his harmful rhetoric only empowers repressive regimes to jail reporters & silence the truth. https://t.co/S65iPnPBsN
— John McCain (@SenJohnMcCain) December 13, 2017
Other world leaders who have received the title of “world’s most oppressive leader toward press freedom” include Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
The Committee to Protect Journalists also called out the DOJ and State Department, stating, “under Trump’s administration, the Department of Justice has failed to commit to guidelines intended to protect journalists’ sources, and the State Department has proposed to cut funding for international organizations that help buttress international norms in support of free expression.”
Trump will announce the winners of his “Fake News” awards on January 17th.
