The White House has been providing intentionally false information and “fake news” to The New York Times, according to White House correspondent Maggie Haberman.
On Twitter, conservative radio talk show host Bill Mitchell posted: “You know what we should do? Start flooding the NYTimes and WAPO tip lines with all kinds of crazy “leaks.” Then laugh when they print them!”
You know what we should do? Start flooding the NYTimes and WAPO tip lines with all kinds of crazy “leaks.” Then laugh when they print them!
— Bill Mitchell (@mitchellvii) May 21, 2017
However, New York Times White House correspondent Maggie Haberman responded that this was already the case, replying “The Trump administration has tried this a few times, sir. We actually vet these things.”
The Trump administration has tried this a few times, sir. We actually vet these things. https://t.co/CNdET1sRbY
— Maggie Haberman (@maggieNYT) May 21, 2017
In a recent interview with the Washington Post, Kyle Pope, editor in chief and publisher of the Columbia Journalism Review discusses the greatest threats to a free press today.
“I think the bigger risk right now is of somebody getting duped — intentional misdirection or fabricated leaks. In this climate, that is more what I would be worried about.”
President Trump has frequently criticized the mainstream media, and particularly The New York Times, saying recently in an interview with a conservative blog that the Times’ “intent is so evil and so bad” that “they write lies.”