WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — Both campaigns of US presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump pose threats to freedom of the press, the White House Correspondents’ Association (WHCA) wrote in an op-ed published in USA Today on Thursday.
"The White House Correspondents’ Association is alarmed by the treatment of the press in the 2016 presidential campaign," WHCA outgoing President Carol Lee and future President Jeff Mason wrote.
They explained that Trump has banned reporters from his campaign events because he did not like the content of their coverage, which infringes on the public’s right to know.
Additionally, Clinton’s refusal to answer reporters’ questions at press conferences deprives the public from hearing from their potential president in a format that ensures they are accountable for policy positions, the op-ed stated.
The WHCA stressed that the president sets the tone for how other US officials interact with the media, and that the country will not have a free press if the next president does not feel they should be held accountable to media inquiries.
