In their own words
International Federation of Journalists – “There can be no press freedom if journalists exist in conditions of corruption, poverty or fear.”
David Kaye, UN special rapporteur on the promotion and protection of the right to freedom of opinion and expression, October 13, 2015 – “It’s very common for a state to say ‘this is national security and therefore there’s no right to either publish this information or disclose it’. So both the person who discloses the information and the source can be subject to all sorts of sanctions, sometimes criminal. Those are having a real chilling effect, certainly on sources, and probably to a certain extent on the journalists as well.”
US presidential candidate Donald Trump, February 26, 2016 – “I’ll tell you what, I think the media is among the most dishonest groups of people I’ve ever met. They’re terrible… I’m going to open up our libel laws so when they write purposely negative and horrible and false articles, we can sue them and win lots of money.”
Russian President Vladimir Putin, June 7, 2016 – “There can’t be a situation where some governments talk about freedom of information when they like what they are hearing, yet immediately decry information they don’t like as propaganda of a political group or foreign state… Information should be objective from all viewpoints and should not be subjected to any repressive actions with the goal of correcting it.”
Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, June 30, 2016 – “Just because you’re a journalist, you are not exempted from assassination if you’re a son of a bitch.”
Resources Minister Matt Canavan, December 22, 2016 – “Those reports have been nothing but fake news.”
President-Elect Donald Trump, January 11, 2017 – “You are fake news.”
Queensland Senator Pauline Hanson, January 18, 2017 – “That probably is fake news.”
Treasurer Scott Morrison, February 6, 2017 – “I will leave the fake news to others.”
Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, February 16, 2017 – “The press freedom in Turkey is more than it is in most Western countries.”
President Donald Trump, February 16, 2017 – “Tomorrow they'll say Donald Trump rants and raves at the press. I'm not ranting and raving; I'm just telling you. You know, you're dishonest people. But… but I'm not ranting and raving. I love this. I'm having a good time doing it. But tomorrow the headlines are going to be Donald Trump rants and raves. I'm not ranting and raving.” The next day – “The FAKE NEWS media (failing @nytimes, @NBCNews, @ABC, @CBS, @CNN) is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American People!”
Former Washington Post reporter Carl Bernstein, February 19, 2017 – “Trump’s attacks on the American press as enemies of the American people are more treacherous than Richard Nixon’s attacks on the press... It is a demagogue statement… Trump is out there on his own leading a demagogic attack on the institutions of free democracy including the press."
Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, February 27, 2017 – “Donald Trump understands that [journalists] are an anarchic group.”
Cai Mingzhao, president Xinhua News Agency, February 21, 2017– “As long as the news media stick to the correct political direction and play their part, they will make great progress on the initiative of serving the nation’s economic development and helping maintain a stable political environment.”
Tasmanian Senator Eric Abetz, March 21, 2017 – “Freedom of speech is a fundamental virtue underpinning the very fabric of Australian society.” Two days later – “New ABC Chairman must end biased fake news fetish.”
NSW Senator Brian Burston, April 10, 2017 – “Look out ABC. I am coming after you and your disgraceful journalist… ”
