Staff Reports
In a shocking turn of events at the White House press briefing, it seems that discrimination against reporters has once again reared its ugly head. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, who proudly proclaimed the administration’s commitment to press freedom, found herself in a tense exchange with chief White House correspondent Simon Ateba from Today News Africa.
White House blames technical glitch for removal of Jean-Pierre's hostile exchange with reporter | Fox News https://t.co/XJ1ZW3n9kU
— Ultra MagaBA?? (@Brookltnwilliw) June 29, 2023
Ateba, who has had a contentious relationship with the Biden administration, bravely confronted Jean-Pierre about the discrimination he claims to have experienced over the past nine months. With unwavering determination, he questioned whether he would finally be given the opportunity to ask his pressing questions. But instead of addressing his concerns with the respect they deserved, Jean-Pierre resorted to insults and threatened to end the press conference altogether. How’s that for commitment to press freedom?
The @WhiteHouse fraud continues. They have two versions of the briefing on YouTube. The first one where they edited me out during my exchange with @PressSec Karine Jean-Pierre and the second one where they restored it. Both versions are up. Here they are.
1-… pic.twitter.com/m3qWb1jT4y
— Simon Ateba (@simonateba) June 28, 2023
It's so obvious that the @WhiteHouse lied. @FoxNews just made this their cover story. I am still shocked that I was edited out of the briefing by @JoeBiden and @PressSec Karine Jean-Pierre's team.https://t.co/lVk5bBhRvR pic.twitter.com/WIKxTXe1pA
— Simon Ateba (@simonateba) June 28, 2023
To make matters worse, Ateba later discovered that the footage of his exchange with Jean-Pierre had mysteriously disappeared from the live stream recording on YouTube. Coincidence? I think not. It seems that the White House has mastered the art of selective editing, conveniently removing any evidence of their discriminatory behavior. But we’re not fooled.
When questioned about the missing footage, the White House tried to pass it off as a technical error. But Ateba, who has experienced firsthand the lengths to which they will go to silence troublesome reporters, was not convinced. He knows that this is just another tactic in the administration’s playbook to blacklist any journalists who dare to challenge their narrative.
It’s a sad day when the very people who are supposed to uphold the principles of democracy and transparency resort to such underhanded tactics. The Biden administration’s hollow commitment to press freedom is becoming increasingly evident. If they truly valued the freedom of the press, they would welcome tough questions and engage in honest dialogue. Instead, they choose to discriminate and silence those who dare to hold them accountable.
The American people deserve better. They deserve a government that respects the role of the press in a healthy democracy. It’s time for the Biden administration to drop the charade and start living up to their promises. Press freedom should not be an empty slogan; it should be a reality.
Source: Conservative Institute
