U.S. (ECWd) –
Today, national media is busy reporting on President Trump’s banning of at least three news outlets from the White House. Those now-banned news organizations are CNN, MS NOW, and Politico.
As we have previously reported, selectively banning media is never a good idea, and does have consequences.
This issue is not simply a national issue, nor is it a party-specific issue or even a politician issue, for example:
- In 2020, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker banned an AM560 reporter Amy Jacobson from press briefings because he claimed “she was not an impartial journalist” (HERE). This was just days after she broke news about his family traveling to an equestrian estate in Wisconsin amid Illinois’ stay-at-home order. Her and Salem Media then sued the Pritzker administration in federal court (HERE). The Governor’s press office was happy with his decision to ban her (HERE), however, facing the federal lawsuit he was certain to lose, he invited her back to the press briefings (HERE).
- A Coles County Court impounded (sealed) a mugshot of one of its assistant State’s Attorneys (HERE) because they knew we would publish it. He later pled guilty to two counts of attempt official misconduct for incidents that occurred while he was an Assistant State1s Attorney in Coles County. He solicited sexual acts from two criminal defendants by telling them that they would receive preferential treatment in their cases in exchange for the sexual acts. After we filed a Motion (HERE) to unseal the mugshot, the court unsealed it (HERE).
- A Naperville Liquor Commissioner was arrested and pled guilty to DUI (HERE) and her attorneys had her arrest and court records sealed by the court (HERE and HERE). We filed a Motion to Intervene (HERE), and the court granted our Motion (HERE).
- A County Board convinced a Court to seal a bid for a farm contract, we filed a Motion to Intervene (HERE) and the bid was unsealed.
- People’s National Bank attempted to file court documents under seal, we filed a Motion to Intervene, which was granted by a White County Judge (HERE) which prohibited the bank from filing a settlement agreement under seal.
- We were even prohibited from participating in McLean County Circuit Court’s Extended Media Coverage (HERE) until we engaged an attorney to appeal the decision (HERE), which was quickly overturned (HERE).
- And most recently in St. Louis, Missouri, veteran reporter Elliot Davis has been “shadow banned” or simply not invited nor informed of press events of the St. Louis Mayor Cara Spencer.
As you can see, these are only the instances and cases we took part in or were aware of. Only through action can these activities be exposed, as they should have never happened in the first place.
This is a disservice to the public, no matter who does it or how they do it.
