In another blow to press freedom in the US, White House launches media 'Hall of Shame'

The White House launched a media "Hall of Shame" on its government website, marking another significant blow to press freedom in the United States.

"Fully sortable and routinely updated, it ensures no hoax, no anonymously 'sourced' fan fiction, and no partisan smear gets memory-holed again," the White House wrote in a statement announcing the launch of the site.

As one of its features, the portal lists The Washington Post as "Offender of the week" but also targets numerous other news outlets, including The New York Times, CNN, CBS News and The Independent.

The government website continues to detail each “claim” it attributes to specific publications and reporters, grouping them into various categories.

Accredited press agencies such as the Associated Press and Reuters also appear on the site, with the White House citing "bias" and "omission of context" for one, and "lie" for the latter.

Other categories listed on the site include "circular reporting," "failure to report," "false claim," "malpractice," "mischaracterisation," "misrepresentation," and "left-wing lunacy".

“Let's be clear what's happening here: the wrongful and intentional targeting of journalists by government officials for exercising a constitutionally protected right,” said the Post's executive editor, Matt Murray. “The Washington Post will not be dissuaded and will continue to report rigorously and accurately in service to all of America".

Notably, no news outlets that appeal to conservatives were cited for bias.

A danger to press freedom and democracy

The conservative media watchdog Media Research Centre (MRC), which has previously accused news networks of being biased toward a liberal viewpoint, welcomed the launch of the website.

“It’s a stronger effort than Republican presidents have done before," MRC’s director of media analysis, Tim Graham said, "I think all Republicans realize today that the media is on the other side and need to be identified as on the other side.”

However, experts who spoke to the German media outlet DW warned that this rhetoric is dangerous for journalists and poses a serious risk to press freedom, as well as democracy, in the United States.

The creation of the website comes as US President Donald Trump has bolstered his campaign against what he calls "fake news," and has come under growing criticism for lashing out as journalists, often women, calling them "ugly inside and out," "stupid" and "piggy".