Anonymous Trump editorial highlights the need to check facts, expert says
The uproar created by an opinion piece written by a Trump administration official signals a critical juncture for both journalism and democracy, according to a media ethics expert.
"I'm calling this Op-Ed Gate," Michele Weldon, a professor emerita at Northwestern University in Chicago, told The House.
"This is a chaotic time."
The article, published by the New York Times, outlines what the unnamed author claims is the work of administration officials to save the U.S. from its president.
But the anonymity of the piece is a red flag to Weldon.
"It really is troubling on many different levels that this doesn't have a byline," she said.
The NYT's decision to publish the article means, said Weldon, that people are getting pushed to desperation by the actions of Donald Trump. It's a situation she suggests calls for more careful fact-checking, both by journalists and by citizens who consume their work.
"You can't fact-check erratic behaviour," she said, adding journalists now have a duty to corroborate as much of their information as possible.
For example, the anonymous author's claim that insiders were trying to have Trump declared unfit for office could be confirmed by other senior officials.
While an international guessing game continues over the identity of the official, Weldon said it's important to address the harm that will arise out of the Times' decision to publish the "shocking and outrageous statements."
The information may be pertinent to the public, but Weldon said it's important to balance that with the responsibility to avoid causing hysteria.