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OPINION
East Oregonian
Tuesday, October 17, 2017
Founded October 16, 1875
KATHRYN B. BROWN
Publisher
DANIEL WATTENBURGER
Managing Editor
TIM TRAINOR
Opinion Page Editor
MARISSA WILLIAMS
Regional Advertising Director
MARCY ROSENBERG
Circulation Manager
JANNA HEIMGARTNER
Business Office Manager
MIKE JENSEN
Production Manager
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OUR VIEW
Trump’s attacks on the
media risk freedom
“Words spoken by the president
by television, magazines, radio
and newspapers, he might still be
of the United States matter. Are you
nothing but a bankrupt casino owner.
tonight recanting the oath you took
Most politicians implicitly realize
on Jan. 20th to preserve, protect and
they have some form of symbiotic
defend the First Amendment?” U.S.
relationship with the press. Hopefully,
Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Nebraska, asked
this usually is in the public interest
this important question of President
by sharing information and building
Donald Trump last week.
a sense of national unity, but other
Trump said NBC should be
punished for a story he didn’t like by times it simply derives from a shared
desire to ride the publicity train to
having its Federal Communications
fame and fortune.
Commission license revoked. The
Many politicians indulge in
president didn’t understand the
ritual complaints
broadcaster doesn’t rely
His many threats about victimization
on such a license. The
the press. Trump
threat is nevertheless
and insults thrown by
far oversteps normal
deeply objectionable.
at working jour- bounds. Calling major
Trump’s tweets and
comments often are
outlets “the
nalists and media news
empty provocations,
enemy of the American
organizations ... people” and saying
mainly intended
to inflame his true
journalists are “sick
must not go
believers. However, his
people … trying to take
unchallenged
many threats and insults
away our history and
thrown at working
our heritage” places
journalists and media organizations
honest news reporters at risk. There
have been 20 arrests and 21 physical
have real-world consequences. They
must not go unchallenged by any
attacks on U.S. journalists this year,
according to Columbia Journalism
American who genuinely cherishes
our own democracy and cares about
Review.
Trump’s bullying words also have
the pursuit of freedom in the rest of
dangerous consequences beyond
the world.
our borders. Worldwide, there are
Trump’s current target is NBC
259 journalists currently imprisoned
News. It is not the most revered
member of the journalistic profession, for doing their jobs, CJR reports.
In Turkey, Mexico and elsewhere,
being widely accused of wimpiness
strongmen attack the independent
last year in covering the president’s
press. Reporters doing their jobs by
sexual assault admission to “Access
Hollywood” host Billy Bush and this shining a light into the dark recesses
year’s allegations of sexual predations of criminal enterprises and political
repression too often pay for their
by movie producer Harry Weinstein.
courage with their lives. By attacking
The network’s former news anchor
America’s press, the world’s biggest
Brian Williams was demoted for
strongman provides inspiration for all
lying about his experiences covering
who aspire to dominate others.
the Iraq War.
In a column in CJR, Columbia
The president’s rant centers on
University President Lee Bollinger
an NBC report that Trump wanted
notes the First Amendment
a nearly tenfold increase in the U.S.
nuclear arsenal. The network implied guaranteeing freedom of speech
and the press “is a core part of the
it was this proposal in a July 20
American identity. As much as
meeting that led Secretary of State
Rex Tillerson to call Trump a moron. it is about ‘rights’ — the right of
dissent, of sovereignty residing in the
There is no indication the network’s
citizenry and not in the government,
report was incorrect. When asked
and so on — it is also about the
directly, Tillerson didn’t deny it.
character of the society. To listen to
Everyone understands why
people speak of free speech and press
politicians get frustrated at the news
is to hear about fortitude, bravery,
media. It often is an adversarial
magnanimity, self-doubt, and the
relationship. Our traditions place
capacity to reason and respond;
the press in the role of independent
watchdog over government. Because to recognize the importance of
compromise, and to learn to live with
of this, some politicians regard the
some degree of chaos, uncertainty,
news media with the same loathing
and discord; and to value creativity
heaped on police internal-affairs
and change over always trying to
divisions in procedural cop shows.
Trump has taken this idea and ramped preserve the status quo.”
As Sen. Sasse said, words
it up, trying to immunize himself
matter — especially those of the U.S.
against legitimate news by painting
president. Some are taking his words
all journalists as liars and traitors —
to heart. Freedom suffers as a result.
smart alecks out to get him.
Trump swore to uphold the
The president’s disdain for national
Constitution. He must endeavor to
media is ironic, considering how his
keep his word, even when it comes to
celebrity status led to his election.
freedom of the press.
Without the lavish coverage of him
Unsigned editorials are the opinion of the East Oregonian editorial board of publisher
Kathryn Brown, managing editor Daniel Wattenburger, and opinion page editor Tim Trainor.
Other columns, letters and cartoons on this page express the opinions of the authors and not
necessarily that of the East Oregonian.
OTHER VIEWS
Why I went to North Korea
S
ince my five-day visit to North
That’s because the government wants
Korea recently, I’ve encountered
them to know about Trump’s threats,
pushback from critics who ask,
because they bolster Kim’s nationalist
“Why go?”
narrative that he protects Korea from
First, they argue: You needlessly
imperialist U.S. aggressors.
put yourself at risk and give Kim Jong
Being on the ground in a country
Un a bargaining chip if he grabs you.
lets you see things and absorb their
The U.S. government shouldn’t have
power: the speaker on the walls of
to worry about bone-headed journalists Nicholas homes to feed propaganda; the pins
in enemy territory.
Kristof that every adult wears with portraits
Second, they say: By going to
of members of the Kim family; the
Comment
North Korea, you simply become a
daily power outages, but also signs
mouthpiece for a country that you
that the economy is growing despite
admit is the most totalitarian country in the
international sanctions; the Confucian
history of the world. It’s a Potemkin country,
emphasis on dignity that makes officials
and you become a “useful idiot” transmitting
particularly resent Trump’s personal attacks
propaganda.
on Kim; the hardening of attitudes since my
Frankly, these are legitimate arguments.
last visit, in 2005; and the bizarre confidence
So let’s seize the moment for an honest
that North Korea can not only survive a
discussion — and, in the process, let me offer
nuclear war with the U.S. but also emerge as
a behind-the-scenes glimpse of reporting
victor.
there.
At one factory, we came upon workers
Getting a visa to North Korea is always
doing their “political study.” North Koreans
tough, and my latest attempt
explained that they have
involved long and delicate
study for two hours
When the stakes political
negotiations with North
a day, plus most of the day
Korean diplomats — and
are millions of lives on Saturday, so I asked what
with my wife. (That’s not a
they focused on these days.
complaint: If she were eager and official commu- “We must fight against the
for me to go to North Korea,
one woman
nications channels Americans!”
I’d be worried.)
answered earnestly. And
Four of us from The New
then the North Koreans in
are nonexistent,
York Times obtained visas
the room dissolved into
(stay tuned for a video we’re then journalism can laughter, perhaps because of
making from the trip), and
oddness of saying this to
sometimes serve as the
then quickly received U.S.
Americans.
a bridge — and as
State Department approval,
A visit humanizes North
along with special U.S.
Koreans, who outside the
a warning.
passports valid for travel to
country sometimes come
North Korea.
across as robots. In person,
The only way into North Korea is on
you are reminded that they laugh, flirt, worry,
daily flights from Beijing on creaky Russian
love and yearn to impress.
planes. The in-flight entertainment is a video
A military officer greeted me with a bone-
of a North Korean military orchestra playing
crushing handshake, and I asked if that was
classical music, interspersed with scenes of
meant to intimidate and convey to the Yankee
missiles being launched.
imperialists that North Koreans are muscular
From the moment we arrived, we were
supermen. He laughed in embarrassment, and
escorted by two Foreign Ministry handlers,
when we ended the interview, he was much
and we were housed at a guarded Foreign
gentler.
Ministry compound.
I left North Korea fearing that we are far
Our hosts were always courteous, but there too complacent about the risk of a cataclysmic
was a whiff of menace that didn’t exist on
war that could kill millions. And that’s why
my previous trips to North Korea, not least
reporting from within North Korea is crucial:
because three Americans are currently being
There simply is no substitute for being in a
detained there. And just in August, North
place. It’s a lesson we should have learned
Korea sentenced two South Korean journalists from the run-up to the Iraq War, when the
and their publishers to death in absentia for
reporting was too often from the Washington
their writing.
echo chamber rather than the field. When
It was also troubling that we were given
the stakes are millions of lives and official
strong hints that the Foreign Ministry was
communications channels are nonexistent,
isolating us and escorting us as protection
then journalism can sometimes serve as a
from military and security agencies, which
bridge — and as a warning.
weren’t on board with our presence.
Yes, we must carefully weigh the risks —
North Korea is the most rigidly controlled
physical risks and the danger of being used by
country in the world, with no open dissent, no propagandists — and work to mitigate them.
religion and no civil society, and there is zero
But I have a sinking feeling in my gut, just
chance that anyone will express dissatisfaction as I had on the eve of the Iraq War, that our
with the government.
president may be careening blindly toward
Still, the conversations were illuminating.
war. In that case, the job of journalists is to go
Ordinary North Koreans were unfamiliar with out and report, however imperfectly, and try to
the name of Otto Warmbier, the American
ring alarm bells in the night.
student who died days after being returned to
■
the United States in a vegetative state after his
Nicholas D. Kristof, a columnist for The
detention in Pyongyang for stealing a poster.
Times since 2001, is a two-time Pulitzer
But they knew all about President Donald
Prize winner who grew up on a sheep farm in
Trump’s threats to destroy their country.
Yamhill, Oregon.
YOUR VIEWS
Real men don’t abuse women
Harvey Weinstein uses his position of
power to sexually assault and harass women
and is deservedly vilified and ruined.
Donald Trump does the same thing and is
elected president. What’s wrong with this
picture? Could it be the celebrity status of
the women Weinstein abused as opposed to
the “ordinary,” not so well known women
abused by Trump?
Roger Ailes, Bill O’Reilly, Bill Clinton
— all powerful men using their positions to
try and justify and/or rationalize their actions
with vulnerable women. It is definitely a
black mark on our gender and should be
called out immediately, never overlooked
with the hope that it might be a one-time
occurrence. It happens all too often and for
too long the bad habit of blaming the victims
to protect the abuser has kept those at fault
from paying the ultimate price for their
abhorrent behavior.
We are male by birth, but men by choice
and real men don’t abuse women in any way
shape or form.
that again. So donate and attend, it’s for a
great cause, and it’s fun.
Thanks, Mason, for your hard work.
Mary C. Long
Pendleton
David Gracia
Hermiston
Humane society is worthy of
support
I noticed on Facebook that Mason
Murphy is hosting the Humane Society
dinner and auction at 40 Taps again (Nov. 4,
5:30 p.m.). I have attended these since they
started and the community involvement has
been good.
Something as important as a Humane
Society in our community is worth
everyone’s effort. I can remember when
we had nowhere to place the unwanted
abandoned pets and would not want to see
Support the Clean Energy
Jobs Bill
It’s great that some Republicans are
accepting science. Federally, the 50-member
House Climate Solutions Caucus, half
of whom are Republicans, proposes
legislation. But in Oregon, our Republican
representatives still sit on their hands. Many
of them claim to accept the science, but
talking the talk is totally inadequate; they
must walk the walk.
After a season of national hurricane and
wildfire disasters almost certainly made
more severe by human-induced emissions
of climate pollution, the urgency of action
should be hitting home. Alas, it is not! Facing
a legislative proposal that places a cap on our
contribution to this global warming problem,
Oregon’s Republicans grope from reason to
reason to oppose meaningful action. While
a few Oregon Republicans stick their heads
in the sand, tout the denier hoaxes, and claim
not to believe the science, others claim to
accept the science and still do nothing.
We’ve had purely voluntary pollution
reduction goals in place for 10 years and
are nowhere near the trajectory of reduction
we need to be; voluntary goals have failed.
It’s time to support the Clean Energy Jobs
Bill — a win-win solution for rural Oregon
with funds allocated to supporting renewable
energy projects in economically depressed
areas.
Trisha Vigil
Medford
LETTERS POLICY
The East Oregonian welcomes original letters of 400 words or less on public issues and public policies for publication in the newspaper and on our website. The newspaper
reserves the right to withhold letters that address concerns about individual services and products or letters that infringe on the rights of private citizens. Submitted letters must
be signed by the author and include the city of residence and a daytime phone number. The phone number will not be published. Unsigned letters will not be published. Send
letters to managing editor Daniel Wattenburger, 211 S.E. Byers Ave. Pendleton, OR 97801 or email editor@eastoregonian.com.