Trump's attacks on 'fake news' are increasingly global

Gregory Korte | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Trump wants to have a 'fake news' contest President Trump wants to have a contest for Fake News Trophy, to see who is the most dishonest news source, Fox isn’t in the running.

WASHINGTON — President Trump's attacks on what he calls "fake news" are no longer limited to CNN.

It's CNN International.

Trump's new animosity toward the Cable News Network's global sister channel symbolizes what press freedom advocates say is a disturbing new dimension to the president's feud with the media. They say Trump, instead of defending the First Amendment, is now setting a worldwide example for rulers who would clamp down on press freedom.

"He's definitely sending a dangerous message," said Margaux Ewen of Reporters Without Borders, an international organization devoted to defending press freedom. "I cant speak to his intent, but this new international angle of his attacks against the press is concerning."

Since returning from his Asia trip – during which he said he was "forced to watch" CNN International in the Philippines – Trump has renewed his longstanding feud with the network.

In a tweet on Saturday, Trump said Fox News is much more important in the United States than CNN. "But outside of the U.S., CNN International is still a major source of (Fake) news, and they represent our Nation to the WORLD very poorly. The outside world does not see the truth from them!" he said.

CNN's response: "It's not CNN's job to represent the U.S to the world. That's yours. Our job is to report the news."

Trump has branded news outlets as "fake news" since before he took office, using a term originally used to describe falsified news stories manufactured for monetary or political gain as an epithet against any news coverage he disagrees with.

He's voiced those complaints not just while in Washington, but also in foreign capitals — often making common cause with leaders who have their own battles with a free press.

► In his first overseas news conference in July, Trump blasted CNN and NBC by name for what he called "biased" reporting — and then suggested that Polish President Andrej Duda has similar problems. Duda, who has drawn the attention of the European Union for his crackdown on a free press, agreed that "media order" was important. Later, Trump tweeted that he would "fight the fake news" with Duda.

► During his Asia trip this month, Trump did not have a joint press conference with Chinese President Xi Jinping after the Chinese vetoed the idea. But then Trump also failed to hold a solo press conference for the entire trip, though he did talk to reporters off camera aboard Air Force One. And for one day in Vietnam, traveling reporters following him were shut out from presidential events entirely.

► When Trump later met with Rodrigo Duterte, the Philippines president shut down reporters trying to ask questions by declaring, "You are the spies." Trump laughed.

Trump's latest attack came the same day that Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a new law requiring selected foreign news organizations to register as foreign agents — an apparent retaliation for the U.S. Justice Department enforcing its existing Foreign Agent Registration act against Russian propaganda outlet Russia Today, or RT.

RT was identified in a U.S. intelligence community assessment as being part of a sophisticated Russian campaign to interfere with the 2016 presidential election.

“Americans have a right to know who is acting in the United States to influence the U.S. government or public on behalf of foreign principals,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Dana Boente said this month in announcing RT's registration as a foreign agent.

The State Department did not respond to a request for comment on the Russian action, which could ensnare U.S.-based media reporting on Moscow. "This new international angle of his attacks against the press, in light of the new Russian media law — and we don’t know how that will be put into place — that could potentially compromise international reporters operating in places like Russia," said Ewen.

One outlet that could be subjected to the new Russian media law is Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, chartered by Congress to provide news and information to eastern Europe, including Russia.

"So far, nothing official has been said about whether we would be named," said RFE/RL President Tom Kent. "We’re trying not to speculate and not build hypothetical on top of that."

But he dismissed the Russian implication that U.S. and Russian state media are somehow equivalent.

"I think RT's content speaks for itself," Kent said. "Our mission is, the law says, we need to provide objective, professional news coverage. That's in the law."