The White House launched a “Hall of Shame” on its website as Trump escalated attacks on what he calls fake news. Officials designed the portal to track alleged errors and biased reporting. The government described it as fully sortable, updated regularly, and able to prevent claims from being ignored or forgotten.
News Outlets Under Fire
The portal labeled The Washington Post “Offender of the week” and criticized The New York Times, CNN, CBS News, and The Independent. Officials listed Associated Press and Reuters, citing bias, omission of context, or lies. The site categorized reports as circular reporting, failure to report, false claim, malpractice, mischaracterisation, misrepresentation, and left-wing lunacy. Matt Murray, executive editor of the Post, said the government intentionally targeted journalists exercising constitutional rights and vowed the paper would continue reporting rigorously.
Press Freedom Concerns
The portal excluded conservative outlets from criticism. The Media Research Centre praised the site as a stronger effort than past Republican presidents. Experts speaking to DW warned that the website and Trump’s rhetoric endanger journalists, threaten press freedom, and undermine democracy. Trump intensified his campaign against “fake news” while repeatedly insulting journalists, often women, calling them ugly, stupid, and piggy.
