OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media urges US administration to refrain from attacking media

VIENNA, 28 August 2017 – United States (US) President Donald Trump’s recent remarks on media are cause for deep concern, the OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media Harlem Désir stated in a letter to Secretary of State H.E. Rex W. Tillerson.

During a rally in Phoenix, Arizona, on 22 August 2017, the President accused the media of being “truly dishonest”, “fake”, “bad” and “crooked”, of “mak[ing] up stories” and deepening the divisions within the country.

“I urge the United States administration to refrain from delivering such attacks on the media. The US President’s statements are deeply problematic in that they degrade the essential role the media plays in every democratic society, holding governments to account and offering a platform for a diversity of voices,” Désir said.

“In addition to undermining the credibility of the media, such statements, especially those identifying the media as the “enemy of the people”, could also make journalists more vulnerable to being targeted with violence and abuse,” he added. Désir further stressed that the statements are particularly worrying given the United States’ long-standing position as one of the global leaders in defending free speech and press freedom.

The Representative, who acts as a media freedom watchdog in the OSCE region and regularly addresses issues of concern in his dialogue with governments, emphasized that such statements might have a broader international impact, given the increasing threats to media freedom throughout the OSCE region and beyond.

Désir also noted that the President’s statements conflict with the United States’ international commitments on media freedom, as well as with the protections under the US Constitution’s First Amendment.  

The OSCE Representative on Freedom of the Media observes media developments in all 57 OSCE participating States. He provides early warning on violations of freedom of expression and media freedom and promotes full compliance with OSCE media freedom commitments. Learn more at www.osce.org/fom, Twitter: @OSCE_RFoM and on www.facebook.com/osce.rfom.