There’s nothing more stereotypically liberal than a college professor flattering journalists on CNN, as was the case in a CNN op-ed published Friday by Joseph Holt, an ethics professor at the University of Notre Dame.
In the article, Holt praises journalists -- while bashing President Trump and his staff’s treatment of the free press, of course. Holt even compares the media to American soldiers.
“We thank soldiers for their service because they devote themselves to protecting our freedoms, and we should. But we should also thank the media for the same reason -- especially when the stakes have never been higher,” he writes.
A free press is certainly essential to a free society, but to compare journalists to soldiers is insulting to the thousands who have died for our freedoms. Being jeered at a Trump rally is nothing compared to being shot at by terrorists in Afghanistan. Holt’s comparison is simply ignorant — and, quite frankly, a perfect example of liberal elitism.
The professor’s closing paragraph isn’t the only absurd remark, as the op-ed in its entirety has the quality of a week-old File-O-Fish from McDonald's.
Specifically, Holt ties his argument to the treatment of Jim Acosta at a Trump rally last week, where he was flipped off and cursed at by Trump supporters. Holt claims that Trump’s harsh rhetoric towards the media is an attack on the free press, which is far from the case.
While Trump’s media rhetoric has been anything but professional and is far from a positive look, it’s not an attack on free press. Calling CNN “fake news” and “the enemy of the people” is a hard-hitting criticism, which just like freedom of the press, is protected by the First Amendment. An attack on the free press is censorship — something Trump has not done.
Although, Holt infers that Trump censored the media when the White House banned CNN reporter Kaitlan Collins from a press event two weeks ago. Holt writes that Collins “conducts herself with a high level of professionalism,” but she was banned for shouting questions long after the media was asked to leave the press room.
Whether or not the White House should have banned Collins is up for debate, but to portray the situation as media censorship is dishonest.
Yet still, Holt goes on, even comparing the media to “guardian angels.”
U.S. soldiers, guardian angels, and journalists? This college professor must be willing to compare the press to anything — as long CNN publishes him.