Respect cannot be demanded. It must be earned.
The journalistic watchdogs are warning daily -- sometimes hourly -- of new threats to American traditions perpetrated by the Trumpistas. And on the opinion pages, the pencils are getting sharper as editorial writers detail the machinations of Administration officials.
The revolving door of Cabinet offices has been spinning so fast it's hard to keep track of who's in and who's out. The only thing that seems to spin faster is the president's changing mind.
It's up to the free press to monitor and report fully whatever government officials say and do -- especially the president. And when his comments and claims conflict with fact or reality, it is journalism's duty to report that, also.
Meanwhile, there is a difference between what appears on Page One and what appears on the lead editorial page and the facing page -- also known as the op-ed page -- where opinions of columnists and guest contributors are printed. Moreover, it's important to remember that the editors of the news pages seldom, if ever, consult with or coordinate with the opinion page writers. The only newspaper department that is even more separate is the advertising department.
These days, we see and hear daily reports of attacks from the Oval Office on those the president claims are disseminators of "fake news" -- read, reports that reflect unkindly on whatever the president feels is his right to say and do whatever he pleases at any given moment, even when that conflicts with what he said the previous moment.
The attacks are so harsh and so often that editorial writers feel justified in responding with criticisms that are sometimes equally harsh.
Respect is a two-way street, and disagreement does not equal disrespect.
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