Kamala Bans The Media?
As Vice President Kamala Harris continues her campaign trail in Pennsylvania this week, one notable local news outlet has found itself barred from covering her events. The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that Harris’s campaign has excluded the paper from all future events, a move attributed to a labor dispute that began in 2022 and now affects only a fraction of the newspaper’s unionized staff.
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette editorial page editor Brandon McGinley has raised alarms about this decision. In a recent piece, McGinley argued that if political campaigns—and even sitting vice presidents—can arbitrarily block the press, the fundamental freedom to cover government and political events is at risk. The exclusion of the Post-Gazette, which began as early as August 6, reflects a troubling trend of media censorship that undermines democratic principles.
This issue is not isolated. Reports have emerged that other media outlets, including the New Hampshire Journal, have also been barred from Harris’s events. According to Jeffrey McCall, a professor of political and media communication at DePauw University, while it is common for politicians to select which media outlets they grant exclusive interviews, it is unusual and concerning for them to deny access to public events altogether. Such actions convey a lack of transparency and undermine the democratic process by restricting the flow of information to the public.
Michael Graham, managing editor of the New Hampshire Journal, notes that this exclusion of center-right outlets is part of a broader and disturbing trend where Democrats at the state level increasingly shut out local press that does not align with their viewpoints.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, which notably endorsed former President Donald Trump in 2020, is not typically classified as a conservative publication, though it has shown political independence. The ongoing strike by a segment of its unionized staff appears to be influencing the Harris campaign’s decision, according to McGinley. The strike, which began in October 2022, involves a relatively small portion of the staff but has been a significant point of contention.
Critics argue that Harris’s campaign, by restricting media access, demonstrates a concerning disregard for democratic norms and voter engagement. Jenny Beth Martin, president of the Tea Party Patriots Citizens Fund, emphasized that such actions reflect a deeper disdain for the press and transparency, which voters will likely remember when casting their ballots.
It remains unclear if the Harris campaign has adopted specific criteria for excluding media or if other outlets have faced similar treatment. This growing pattern of media exclusion raises serious questions about the commitment to an open and accountable political process.
