Can Trump silence the press? | The Global Story podcast

Last week, President Donald Trump barred CNN, Politico and MS NOW from the White House, accusing them of spreading "fake news". After their reporters had their press passes revoked and were denied access to the building, the three outlets launched a joint legal challenge, arguing that the move was unconstitutional.

How unprecedented is this decision? And how does it compare with the treatment of journalists in other countries around the world?

Jason Rezaian, host of the Washington Post podcast Freedom Desk and the paper's former Tehran bureau chief, has a unique perspective on these questions. While reporting from Iran, he experienced restrictions on press freedom and was ultimately imprisoned by the regime. Since his release, he has become a prominent advocate for press freedom around the world.

He joins The Global Story’s Tristan Redman to discuss where President Trump's decision fits into a broader pattern in the relationship between political leaders and the media over recent decades.
New episodes of The Global Story are released daily. If you’re in the UK, listen on BBC Sounds. If you live outside the UK, listen on BBC.com or wherever you get your podcasts.


00:00 Intro
00:46 Jason Rezaian: 544 days in an Iranian prison
06:09 How Iran used accreditation to control journalists
08:27 Has the US restricted press freedom before?
11:40 CNN, MSNBC and Politico lose White House access
12:41 Is press freedom above politics?
13:56 What the White House says about press access
17:01 How far can restrictions on journalists go?
19:50 America’s place in the global press freedom rankings
22:50 Inside the White House press pool
25:54 What happens next?
26:14 How does this affect Americans?


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