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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 23 OcTOber 2018

CNN's Jim Acosta calls for Trump to halt media attacks

By DAVID BAUDER notable when Knox on Fri-
NEW YORK (AP) — CNN day issued a WHCA state-
White House correspon- ment condemning Trump
dent Jim Acosta, whose for praising Montana Rep.
network is a frequent tar- Greg Gianforte. Trump
get of President Donald said anyone who can do
Trump's "fake news" barbs, a body-slam "is my kind of
called on him Monday to guy." The correspondents
stop attacking the media association said it amount-
because he's afraid some- ed to a celebration of a
one will get hurt. crime by someone sworn to
The past week may have uphold the nation's laws.
signaled a turning point "It seemed like the right
in journalists fighting back thing to do," Knox said.
against Trump's attacks, "It was absolutely the right
with the White House Cor- thing to do," said CNN an-
respondents Association chor Wolf Blitzer. "We ap-
issuing a statement con- plaud you."
demning him for praising Haberman said she's happy
a Montana congressman with Trump's recent willing-
who body-slammed a re- ness to engage reporters
porter last year during a more directly. She noted
successful congressional that Trump has skillfully kept
campaign. control; instead of formal
Acosta, Maggie Haber- news conferences where
man and WHCA President reporters can think about
Olivier Knox talked about questions in advance, he
the personal toll the words favors brief availabilities
have taken during a panel before stepping onto a he-
Monday at CNN's "Citizen" licopter — where television
conference. Knox said the viewers can't even hear
day after Trump referred to In this Aug. 2, 2018 file photo, CNN correspondent Jim Acosta does a stand up before the daily the questions.
some news organizations press briefing at the White House in Washington. Acosta said it's preferable
as enemies of the people, Associated Press to White House Press Sec-
his child came to him in retary Sarah Sanders' brief-
tears and asked if he was two men had off the re- number of people at cam- porters to continue doing ings.
going to prison. cord because it revealed paign rallies willing to join their jobs, she said. Haber- "I wouldn't put 'productive'
The White House didn't im- publicly that he had made in — and add some choice man said she was taken and a Sarah Sanders brief-
mediately respond to a re- the same point to the presi- epithets his way, Acosta aback when some fellow ing in the same sentence,"
quest for comment. dent. said. It has normalized and reporters were surprised he said. The reporters also
Trump has been advised "All he hears is the cheering sanitized a level of nastiness that she continued wear- talked about the chal-
that his words against the of the crowd when he gets and cruelty that he hasn't ing her press credentials lenge of covering a presi-
media have an impact, but up and says it," Haberman seen before. while speaking to some at- dent when so much time
"he doesn't seem to care," said. The rhetoric "has to stop," tendees at a recent Trump is spent on fact-checking
said Haberman, who cov- Acosta wonders how seri- he said. "I'm afraid some- rally in the South. false presidential state-
ered Trump as a New York ous Trump actually is in his body is going to get hurt." "People said they stopped ments and they got some
real estate baron and now criticism, and the extent Haberman warned not to wearing them," she said. advice from veteran Wa-
in the White House. A.G. to which "fake news" is just overstate the issue; while It's often difficult for news tergate sleuth Carl Bern-
Sulzberger, publisher of The another line delivered by disturbing, it doesn't com- organizations used to com- stein. He said reporters must
New York Times, also said a man who made "you're pare to the danger she felt peting with one another get at the stories behind
that he was glad Trump fired" a signature when he after the Sept. 11 terrorist to agree on a strategy for the statements. "We have
broke an agreement to hosted "The Apprentice." attacks. There's no great fighting back against the to be more than Trump lie-
keep a conversation the What's disturbing is the answer other than for re- attacks. That's why it was catchers," Bernstein said.q