The media has no obligations to agree with the government on issues

The American people have to trust that their president is being as transparent as possible, barring security concerns. A president should be open to the media and make statements whenever necessary — that’s why the position of press secretary was created in the first place. By establishing himself as the only one with the true facts, President Donald Trump is beginning to lead like a dictator. He demonstrates why there is a division between public relations and journalism. Journalists are supposed to report the truth, while public relations professionals represent clients. There’s a reason why The New York Times isn’t filled with press releases and why Sean Spicer isn’t called the White House resident journalist, but rather the press secretary. He represents Trump’s interests.

The Trump administration’s ban of major media from the White House press corps is disturbing. Journalists can only report on information they are provided, so if only one side is communicating with the media, then that side will control the narrative. Despite their numerous attempts to be fair to the Trump administration, they have been shut down.

A president is the president of all people, not just those he agrees with, and it’s irresponsible to shut out outlets who have not covered him favorably. Every president at one point or another has had unfavorable news coverage — at this point in Barack Obama’s presidency, he was still having to prove he was a citizen at all.

Trump’s presidency so far has been marked by a blurring of boundaries. It’s clear that Trump’s problems with the media come from within — his administration is the leakiest so far. Kellyanne Conway has struggled to stay on message, and she even endorsed Ivanka Trump’s products on TV. This president seems to be confused about how running a country is distinct from running a business. Businesses can simply refuse to answer questions or release statements on an issue. The president can’t.

Even if the media was actively trying to destroy the Trump administration, they wouldn’t have to do much. The administration itself is already a mess. All it takes is to use their own words against them. Within just a few months, what Spicer considered unacceptable is now becoming the norm. In December, he told Politico the White House would not ban specific media outlets because, “That’s what makes a democracy a democracy versus a dictatorship.”

The press is there to hold the government accountable. There are times when the government fails, as it did this past election cycle, to acknowledge its own limitations. The media keeps a running log of current events we can refer to.

For example, without the media, we wouldn’t know that Trump had expressed support for the transgender community when it came to the bathroom bill in North Carolina while on the campaign trail. Now, according to The New York Times, Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions are peeling back the Obama administration’s guidance, prompting schools to no longer be required in allowing transgender students to use the bathroom corresponding to their gender identity.

There are media outlets that lean a certain way, but that doesn’t mean what they report is inherently untrue. Essentially, Trump is forcing the press to be part of the story by censoring them.

As George Orwell once said, “Journalism is printing what someone else does not want printed: Everything else is public relations.”

Nicole Dan is a UF political science and journalism junior. Her column appears on Mondays.