New offensive against the American press? As finance ministers from the G20 countries gather until Tuesday in Asheville, North Carolina, the accreditation request of several journalists working for leading American media outlets has been rejected, according to publications. A highly unusual fact.
Thus, the economic press agency Bloomberg did not receive any pass, a spokesperson told Agence France-Presse (AFP) on Saturday evening.
In a story published Saturday, the New York Times reported that its reporter covering the Treasury was also denied access to the event. Only the head of the Berlin office would have obtained accreditation, according to the same newspaper.
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The New York Times also mentions a refusal of accreditation for a Wall Street Journal journalist. Contacted by AFP, the editorial staff of the Wall Street Journal did not immediately respond.
Attack on press freedom
“Denying access to this meeting (…) which undoubtedly serves the global public interest, undermines press freedom and transparency with the public,” said a Bloomberg spokesperson, quoted in an article from the economic agency on Sunday.
The New York Times also denounced in a press release an “attack on press freedom” and “a blatant attempt to escape public scrutiny”.
Contacted by AFP, a Treasury spokesperson reacted by claiming to have accredited nearly 300 members of the media and said he expected “factual” and not “sensationalist” coverage from them.
“Members of the media will have privileged access to policymakers throughout the event, and with this access comes a responsibility to relay factual information consistent with established journalistic standards,” Treasury added.
Finance Minister Scott Bessent appeared briefly on Sunday evening before the accredited press, accompanied by Jamie Dimon, boss of the American bank JPMorgan Chase. This episode is part of the offensive led by the Trump administration against the media that it considers excessively critical.
Dissatisfied with the media coverage of the candidates he supports in view of the mid-term elections, Donald Trump announced on Sunday that he wanted to report a journalist from the NBC channel to the American Communications Authority (FCC).
With AFP
