"Accusing Reporters of Stalking: The Trump Administration's Latest Assault on Journalism"
A summer spent chasing down a story about the Department of Education's "final mission" became an exercise in frustration for ProPublica reporters Megan O'Matz and Doug Bock Clark. Their attempts to get comments from key officials, including Deputy Chief of Staff Lindsey Burke and Director of Strategic Partnerships Meg Kilgannon, were met with hostility and intimidation tactics by department spokesperson Madison Biedermann.
O'Matz first reached out to the press office in mid-August, followed up with detailed questions on August 18 and again on August 28. She even left follow-up messages on Biedermann's cell phone and Burke's husband's cell number, trying to find a direct way to contact them. But every time, she was met with silence or dismissive responses.
The situation escalated when ProPublica tried to arrange an interview with Burke via FedEx, delivering the letter outlining their findings directly to her home address. Biedermann accused O'Matz of sending "inappropriate and unprofessional" emails, even going so far as to suggest that the reporters were using tactics that could be seen as "borderline intimidation."
This kind of pushback is not uncommon for journalists seeking to report on important stories. But what's remarkable about this case is how the Trump administration has chosen to respond. By labeling O'Matz and Clark's reporting efforts as an attack, rather than a legitimate exercise in journalism, they're setting a disturbing precedent for the way public officials will treat reporters.
The article goes on to describe similar cases of intimidation and retaliation against other journalists who have been working to tell important stories about the Trump administration. From reporters being labeled "fake news" to those facing threats and harassment from government officials, it's clear that the line between reporting and personal attacks is being constantly blurred.
As one reporter noted in a 2023 column, door-knocking is not stalking. Yet, when ProPublica journalists visited the home of a VA employee to interview them about their experiences with the department, they were labeled as "stalker-like" by the spokesperson. This kind of double-speak is exactly what's wrong with this administration's approach to journalism.
The article concludes that ProPublica remains committed to telling stories of public interest and will continue to offer subjects an opportunity to comment. As a public reliant on accurate reporting, we should expect no less. It's time for the Trump administration to stop attacking journalists and start taking responsibility for their actions.
A summer spent chasing down a story about the Department of Education's "final mission" became an exercise in frustration for ProPublica reporters Megan O'Matz and Doug Bock Clark. Their attempts to get comments from key officials, including Deputy Chief of Staff Lindsey Burke and Director of Strategic Partnerships Meg Kilgannon, were met with hostility and intimidation tactics by department spokesperson Madison Biedermann.
O'Matz first reached out to the press office in mid-August, followed up with detailed questions on August 18 and again on August 28. She even left follow-up messages on Biedermann's cell phone and Burke's husband's cell number, trying to find a direct way to contact them. But every time, she was met with silence or dismissive responses.
The situation escalated when ProPublica tried to arrange an interview with Burke via FedEx, delivering the letter outlining their findings directly to her home address. Biedermann accused O'Matz of sending "inappropriate and unprofessional" emails, even going so far as to suggest that the reporters were using tactics that could be seen as "borderline intimidation."
This kind of pushback is not uncommon for journalists seeking to report on important stories. But what's remarkable about this case is how the Trump administration has chosen to respond. By labeling O'Matz and Clark's reporting efforts as an attack, rather than a legitimate exercise in journalism, they're setting a disturbing precedent for the way public officials will treat reporters.
The article goes on to describe similar cases of intimidation and retaliation against other journalists who have been working to tell important stories about the Trump administration. From reporters being labeled "fake news" to those facing threats and harassment from government officials, it's clear that the line between reporting and personal attacks is being constantly blurred.
As one reporter noted in a 2023 column, door-knocking is not stalking. Yet, when ProPublica journalists visited the home of a VA employee to interview them about their experiences with the department, they were labeled as "stalker-like" by the spokesperson. This kind of double-speak is exactly what's wrong with this administration's approach to journalism.
The article concludes that ProPublica remains committed to telling stories of public interest and will continue to offer subjects an opportunity to comment. As a public reliant on accurate reporting, we should expect no less. It's time for the Trump administration to stop attacking journalists and start taking responsibility for their actions.
The way the Trump admin is going after ProPublica reporters is super sketchy 
. I mean, who does Madison Biedermann think she is? 
Threatening to call it stalking just because they left some follow-up messages on her cell phone... that's not reporting, that's harassment 
. And this whole thing with the FedEx letter? Come on! It's journalism 101, folks! 
You want to talk to someone, you try to reach out to them directly or get a spokesperson on the record... don't resort to intimidation tactics. This kind of behavior is exactly why we need strong media watchdogs keeping these people in check 
. And let's be real, if they're so scared of what the reporters are saying, maybe that's because their stories are actually worth telling 
i mean, door-knocking isn't stalking, it's journalism 101. and these admin ppl are so desperate to control the narrative that they'll label anyone who dares to question them as a "stalker". smh. we need more reporters like Megan O'Matz who aren't afraid to go toe-to-toe with the powers that be 
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. News organizations should be able to fact-check, question sources, and report on important issues without being threatened or intimidated. It's time for the Trump admin to respect the First Amendment and stop trying to muzzle the press 
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. This kind of behavior is precisely what undermines public trust in institutions and stifles meaningful reporting on important issues like education policy 
. As a nation, we should be supporting journalists who hold our leaders accountable, not labeling them as "stalker-like" for doing their job 
this is getting super frustrating for me as a netizen... it seems like the trump admin is not only corrupt but also trying to intimidate ppl who just wanna do their job 
it's journalism! and it sounds like these reporters were just tryin to get some answers from people in power 
we need more journalists like this who aren't afraid to take on tough stories 
. We need an administration that values transparency and free speech, not one that tries to stifle dissenting voices 
, not our scorn. This kind of intimidation tactic from the Trump administration is just not cool 
. We need to stand up for journalists who are doing their job and holding those in power accountable 
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I'm so done with the Trump admin's behavior towards reporters! 
It's all about the principle of holding those in power accountable for their actions. We need a free press to keep them on their toes, not some kind of intimidation tactic to stifle reporting. 
. And yeah ProPublica's reporting was legit, they were just doing their job 
. I bet if the roles were reversed and a reporter came after them, the admin would be all over it 
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I mean, think about it, if the administration is labeling these reporters as "stalker-like" when they're just trying to do their job, what does that say about the state of media relations in this country? Like, isn't it ironic that the people who are supposed to be all about transparency and accountability are the ones being super secretive and hostile towards journalists? 
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. They're not trying to be aggressive or confrontational; they just want to tell the truth and hold people in power accountable for their actions. That's what journalism is all about.
... The whole thing is so undemocratic and anti-journalism 
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. That's just basic journalism 101. And it's so frustrating when we see people getting attacked for doing their job