Pence blocking CNN from his briefings is straight out of Fascism 101

[Poiuyt]

Fascist America, in 10 easy steps

8. Control the press

Italy in the 1920s, Germany in the 30s, East Germany in the 50s, Czechoslovakia in the 60s, the Latin American dictatorships in the 70s, China in the 80s and 90s - all dictatorships and would-be dictators target newspapers and journalists. They threaten and harass them in more open societies that they are seeking to close, and they arrest them and worse in societies that have been closed already.

---

Over time in closing societies, real news is supplanted by fake news and false documents. Pinochet showed Chilean citizens falsified documents to back up his claim that terrorists had been about to attack the nation. The yellowcake charge, too, was based on forged papers.

You won't have a shutdown of news in modern America - it is not possible. But you can have, as Frank Rich and Sidney Blumenthal have pointed out, a steady stream of lies polluting the news well. What you already have is a White House directing a stream of false information that is so relentless that it is increasingly hard to sort out truth from untruth. In a fascist system, it's not the lies that count but the muddying. When citizens can't tell real news from fake, they give up their demands for accountability bit by bit.

more at link ---

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/apr/24/usa.comment

[Poiuyt]

1. For background: Pence's office blocks public health officials from appearing on CNN

Vice President Mike Pence's office has declined to allow the nation's top health officials to appear on CNN in recent days and discuss the coronavirus pandemic killing thousands of Americans, in an attempt to pressure the network into carrying the White House's lengthy daily briefings in full.

Pence's office, which is responsible for booking the officials on networks during the pandemic, said it will only allow experts such as Dr. Deborah Birx or Dr. Anthony Fauci to appear on CNN if the network televises the portion of the White House briefings that includes the vice president and other coronavirus task force members.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/04/09/media/pence-office-tv-bookings-coronavirus/index.html

[Newest Reality]

2. Hail the Regime!

When it walks like a duck...

I guess, if this continues, then one can presume that OAN will be the State Outlet for the Ministry of Truth. Official, sanctioned and exclusive.

Just sayin'.

[RKP5637]

3. Definitely!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! n/t

[riversedge]

4. agree.

[3catwoman3]

5. What a wuss.

He is like Knox gelatin - completely bland and uninspiring, and vile at the same time.

[msongs]

6. and CNN will grovel and eat feces to continue running trumps campaign rally/presser nt

[Grasswire2]

7. #SoSoviet nt

[Peacetrain]

8. Well since Vlad has paid for them.. I think you are right!!

[spanone]

9. EVERY network should NOT ATTEND

[beachbumbob]

10. CNN should schedule State govenors and their people to talk while trump is holding his bullcrap

session.

Even better have Joe Biden talk with his health experts during this time

[gratuitous]

11. Dear CNN

I offer this suggestion to you free of charge (and worth it!):

"As you may have heard, Vice President Mike Pence has forbidden us to talk to Dr. Fauci and Dr. Birx. Having lost access to two of the leading medical practitioners in this pandemic is unfortunate, but the baggage attendant to that access has become far too burdensome. The administration lies and misleads with reckless abandon, and for every tidbit of useful, factual information offered by Drs. Fauci or Birx, there was a truckload of useless speculation and practicing of medicine by non-medical persons, including President Trump. We do not count this as a loss. In the meantime, we will continue to cultivate and air sources of medical expertise who will give you, our audience, factual information and analysis during this uncertain time."

[Sherman A1]

12. I would hope that the other folks in the room would simply

walk out.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

13. Pence tried to start a "state-run" media here in Indiana

Even his fellow Republicans didn't like the idea, which says a lot.

[IcyPeas]

14. in other words: Quid Pro Quo

you get our health care experts only if you air our entire "show"

trump is always quid pro quo.... that's how he does "business"