July 1, 2018

By: John A. Carlos II

 Maria Rojas, from West Columbia, berates CNN’s Chief White House Correspondent Jim Acosta, right, before President Trump arrival who is in town to speak on the behest of Gov. Henry McMaster to a large crowd gathered at Airport High School on Monday, June 25, 2018, in West Columbia, SC. The campaign stop comes on the eve of a runoff election against businessman John Warren.

Let's be fair there has always been a love/hate relationship with the Press, since the invention of the printing press. But I never really noticed or paid much attention to it until the 2016 election, I remember as a kid hearing people have disagreements on a collection of topics but it rarely if ever devolved into name calling to the other side or person. And "Fake News" has been around since the beginning too...  "Benjamin Franklin intentionally published stories alleging that the British paid Native Americans to scalp men, women and children in the rebellious colonies" and "During the contentious election of 1800, Federalist newspapers tried to keep people from voting for Thomas Jefferson by running fake stories of his death." - writes Steven Seidenberg in an article for the American Bar Association, about the history of fake news and the founding of America. On Monday, June 25, I got to photography Donald Trump for the fifth time and the first since he won the presidency. His disdain for the press is well known, as a candidate, Trump would regularly criticize the media. I've been a witnessed on more than one occasion when Trump has turned the crowd's attention towards the media members that were assigned to cover his event. On Monday Trump continued his attacks on the media, but before POTUS even made it to Columbia, the large crowd started to harass CNN's chief White House correspondent Jim Acosta, no sooner than Jim had entered the gymnasium at Airport High School in West Columbia, did the shouts of “go home!” and “CNN sucks!” where hurled the anchors way. (Link 1 and Link 2)

In April, The New York Times editorial board warned Trump's constant pointing out of journalists at his rallies as "those people back there...the fake news" isn't just Trump being Trump--it's dangerous. "Many people, including many Republican lawmakers, dismiss President Trump's attacks on The Washington Post, CNN, and other news organizations as just one of those crazy--but ultimately harmless--things he does to blow off steam. They're wrong."

Trump's attacks on the press, surely didn’t cause the Annapolis tragedy at the Capital Gazette, but I do think there is a connection.

When you continually call the press "enemy of the people" you create a tone and a climate in which like-minded people may act out, your rhetoric causes people to make journalist and the media to be scapegoats, it convinces your supporters that journalists are less than human, and makes it subsequently right to hate them, and what do you think we do to enemies... What stops that supporter who is dancing on the edge of a knife, to not attack, that of which you are claiming to be "the enemy of the people (country)."

Two people sailing a hydrofoil catamaran on Lake Murray in Irmo, SC on June 23, 2018

Meggie Hinson hands out tickets during Children's Chance Poker Run held at Lake Murray on June 23, 2018. 

Kids play in the water at Lighthouse Marina's access point with there parents during the 2018 Children's Chance Poker Run on June 23, 2018.

A Norfolk Southern train crosses a selection of south Assembly St. in Columbia, SC on June 6, 2018. 

Gov. Henry McMaster thanks his supports during his election night party held at Vista Union, in Columbia, SC on June 26, 2018.

President Donald Trump speaks on behave of Gov. McMaster, on the eve of his runoff election against businessman John Warren at Airport High School in West Columbia, SC on June 25, 2018.

A homeless man sleep close to the US Post Office located on Assembly Street in Columbia, SC.

Keywords: presidential; Trump; SC; South Carolina; above the fold; editorial; news; journalism; 2018; 45; photojournalist; photojournalism; photographer; SC photographer; West Columbia; Columbia; Columbia SC; Columbia SC Photographer; SC Photojournalist; South Carolina Photojournalist; McMaster; Gov. McMaster; Governor McMaster 

Article & Photos by: John A. Carlos II Copyright 2018 www.jac2photo.com