Not enemies, but patriots
I am not your enemy, and you are not mine.
It seems like a simple thing to say, from one American to another. Yet, CNN's chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta reminded us of this when he spoke at the CMI’s Media Innovators Speaker Series.
President Trump targets journalists when he labels stories he doesn’t like as “fake news” and when he calls reporters such as Acosta, “enemies of the people.”
Speaking to a sold-out audience from the stage of the Pittsburgh Playhouse, Acosta invoked the legacy of Mr. Rogers by calling all of us – in the media, in politics, in the public – to treat each other better, with more civility.
“We’re all Americans; we’re all on the same team,” he said. “And we have to reconnect with that spirit. Let’s get back to that place where we all see each other as Americans again.”
Journalists are not only people too, but also American citizens. The media play an important role as The Fourth Estate, as a check on government. Asking challenging questions does not turn journalists into enemies of the people; it makes them patriots.
– Director Andrew Conte and CMI staff
Above: Point Park University senior Brianna McCall interviews Jim Acosta, chief White House correspondent for CNN. Below: Acosta reacts as CMI Director Andrew Conte asks a question during the Media Innovators Speakers Series on Feb. 6 at the Pittsburgh Playhouse. Photos by John Altdorfer.
|
|
|
|
