The Role of the Media is to Hold Power Accountable

We recently learned President Joe Biden had a cheat sheet with a prewritten question from a journalist at Wednesday’s press conference.

“A photographer caught a picture of the cheat sheet as the president held a press conference alongside South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol in the White House rose garden,” the Daily Caller reported. “The sheet included a prewritten question from Los Angeles Times journalist Courtney Subramanian and a photograph of her.”

“‘How are YOU squaring YOUR domestic priorities — like reshoring semiconductors manufacturing — with alliance-based foreign policy?’ the question read next to her photograph.”

The role of the media is to hold power accountable. The founding fathers understood the importance of a free press. They also understood the power of the press and its need to remain free of government control. As the Virginia Declaration of Rights explained, “That the freedom of the press is one of the greatest bulwarks of liberty and can never be restrained but by despotic governments.”

Who knew that so many media outlets would also become autocratic and tyrannical and attempt to silence other media outlets they disagree with? Do they fear that reporters who accurately report the news rather than influence and propagandize will expose their own deceit and political biases?

The Capitol Correspondents Association of California recently dealt with California’s “despotic” government and actually issued a set of guidelines for reporters covering state agency business, the Legislature, as well as the governor.

Why?

For many years, and more recently since Gov. Gavin Newsom was elected, journalists have had significant access issues covering the Newsom administration, the Legislature, many in his cabinet, and state agencies. Here are the new guidelines from the CCAC:

I also reminded the Correspondents Association of their attempt to silence me several years ago:

“And the CA Correspondents Assoc and Assembly Speaker’s office revoked my press credential in 2015 — the only member of CA Capitol press in its history to have this happen. Lawyers appealed, threatened 1A lawsuit, and won it back. Today’s Democrats.”

As I reported in 2016, after having won my press credential back:

“Freedom of the press protects the right to obtain and publish information or opinions without government censorship or fear of punishment, whether or not government finds the material offensive, or disagrees with it. Free speech enables people to obtain information from a diversity of sources, make decisions, and communicate those decisions to the government. Recently I wrote about having my press credential renewal denied by the Capitol Correspondents Association of California, appointed as an arm of the California Legislature’s Joint Rules Committee, which has the final say in press credentialing Capitol media. What began as a witch-hunt several years ago by the totalitarian bullies who make up the righteous Capitol media cartel, who assumed the role as arbiters of fairness and free speech, turned into a valuable schooling in First Amendment rights.

The ensuing process exposed the air of supremacy and inability for self-reflection among California’s liberal media and mainstream journalists, who view themselves as unimpeachable and above reproach.”

“A diverse and critical press corps is a linchpin of a free society,” my attorney Paul Beard said. “We are pleased that Ms. Grimes has been given the access to the halls of our state government that she deserves–and is entitled to under our Constitution.”

Notably, the quote from LA Times reporter Subramanian to President Biden was labeled “Question #1,” indicating that the president should call on her first. “The president stuck to the script by calling on Subramanian first,” the Daily Caller reported. The LA Times reporter asked President Biden the agreed upon question. That is not journalism or accountability.

We are fortunate in California that the Capitol Correspondents Association under new leadership has also recognized “A diverse and critical press corps is a linchpin of a free society.”

The best check against abuses by government officials, as well as those by the media, is to uphold freedom of speech and freedom of the press for those who choose to exercise these rights. The First Amendment doesn’t just apply to elitist liberal media and mainstream journalists, even though many appear to think it does.