News

Georgia Newspapers Join Others In Speaking Out Against ‘Fake News’ Rhetoric

August 16th, 2018

Across the country, more than 300 newspapers, including several in Georgia, ran editorials Thursday denouncing President Donald Trump’s “fake news” language, according to the Boston Globe.

Andrew Harnik / Associated Press

More than 300 newspapers across the country published editorials Thursday denouncing President Donald Trump’s “fake news” rhetoric, according to the Boston Globe.

Several Georgia newspapers have joined in with editorials of their own.

The Augusta Chronicle, a newspaper that has previously endorsed Trump, published an editorial calling his language “dangerous.”

“We thought that coming from a newspaper that endorsed Mr. Trump … would have more of an impact than someone who’s inclined to criticize the president,” said Michael Ryan, the paper’s editorial page editor.

@BrunswickNews: "An independent press is a cornerstone of the freedoms we enjoy in this country. Step one of the fascist playbook is to undermine the press’ ability to do its job properly, which means without government interference."
https://t.co/9ape5lVg28

— Grace Walker (@gracewaaaa) August 16, 2018

But Ryan said that didn’t stop him from worrying about the pushback from readers. The paper has received over 70 comments on its editorial Facebook post so far, many of them in favor of Trump.

“To be honest, you can’t help thinking about [the readers]. We do have very strong Donald Trump supporters among our readership. And we’re with them most of the time. But you have to break ranks when you feel differently,” Ryan said.

He added that his paper often sides with the president in terms of policy but that he hopes he will use “more careful” language.

The Brunswick News, The Savannah Morning News, The Moultrie Observer, Dalton Daily Citizen, Thomasville Times-Enterprise and Valdosta Daily Times were other Georgia newspapers that posted editorials addressing the president’s language.

One outlet that didn’t? The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

AJC Editor Kevin Riley said his paper will “do it differently.” He will publish his thoughts in Sunday’s edition of the paper.

“Rather than get into some national, very partisan debate about the media’s behavior, I would rather have us show people in metro Atlanta and Georgia that we are putting into practice what the First Amendment and founders intended,” Riley said.