Sep 26, 2019
The media has come under increasing attack over the past few years.
While the adversarial relationship between past presidents and the
media is not new, some have argued that President Trump has gone
further than his predecessors by targeting specific journalists and
using language meant to incite violence. As accusations of “fake
news” grow, many are paying close attention to how media outlets
cover the current administration. Jim Acosta of CNN joins Julian
Zelizer in this episode to discuss his experiences covering the
Trump administration’s first two years in office. His new book,
“The Enemy of the People: A Dangerous Time to Tell the Truth in
America” examines the recent attacks and death threats against
Acosta and other members of the press corps, the roles of former
Press Secretaries Sean Spicer and Sarah Huckabee Sanders, and media
coverage of the 2020 presidential election. Acosta gave a public
talk at Princeton on Sept. 23. Acosta is CNN’s chief White House
correspondent, currently covering the Trump administration and
previously covering the Obama administration. He has received
several awards, including the National Association of Hispanic
Journalists 2017 Presidential Award and the San Jose State
University Journalism School 2018 William Randolph Hearst
Foundation Award, and was a part of the CNN team that won an Emmy
for their 2012 presidential campaign coverage. Prior to joining CNN
in 2007, Acosta reported as a news correspondent for CBS News, CBS
Newspath, and various local radio stations.