Oct 14, 2016 3:38 AM GMT
http://money.cnn.com/2016/10/13/media/donald-trump-press-freedom/"Donald Trump, through his words and actions as a candidate for president of the United States, has consistently betrayed First Amendment values."
That's what the Committee to Protect Journalists declared in an unprecedented statement on Thursday.
The nonprofit organization advocates for the rights of journalists all around the world. CPJ usually concentrates on the Middle East and other conflict-stricken areas where journalists routinely face repression and violence. Foreign governments like Iran, China and Pakistan are frequent targets of the group's efforts.
Right now CPJ feels it also has to focus on American attempts to undermine a free press.
The group's board of directors passed an anti-Trump resolution last week and published it on Thursday.
"Trump has consistently demonstrated a contempt for the role of the press beyond offering publicity to him and advancing his interests," the group said. "For this reason CPJ is taking the unprecedented step of speaking out now."
"This is not about picking sides in an election," the statement added. "This is recognizing that a Trump presidency represents a threat to press freedom unknown in modern history."
The committee made the point that the United States is cited by journalists in other countries as a model of free expression and journalistic freedom...blockquote>