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White House bars news outlets from briefing after Trump calls media an enemy of the people

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After President Trump on Friday described the media and what he terms “fake news” as “the enemy of the people,” his administration exacted some revenge.

The White House press briefing, normally an on-camera affair open to all reporters with press credentials, was turned into an exclusive event for certain outlets hand-picked by the administration.

On the list were Trump-friendly outlets such as Breitbart News, the Washington Times and OANN, a conservative television network that employs former Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski as a commentator.

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Off the list were some of Trump’s favorite punching bags including the New York Times and CNN. A correspondent for the Los Angeles Times and the Chicago Tribune was also excluded.

The off-camera briefing with Sean Spicer, the press secretary, was not solely for conservative outlets. Several mainstream reporters were also allowed in, as were pool representatives who transmit news events to a far larger group of reporters.

The Associated Press and Time magazine were also invited but declined to participate in solidarity with other news organizations that were denied entry.

The White House Correspondents’ Association protested, as did editors at several of the organizations that were excluded.

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In a statement, Times editor Davan Maharaj said that it was “unfortunate that the Los Angeles Times has been excluded from a White House press briefing today.”

“The public has a right to know, and that means being informed by a variety of news sources, not just those filtered by the White House press office in hopes of getting friendly coverage,” Maharaj said.

“Regardless of access, The Times will continue to report on the Trump administration without fear or favor,” he added.

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