The end of freedom of the press

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."--First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution

Notice the First Amendment doesn't say anything about actions taken by a president. This is the trap in which the mainstream media finds itself.

Case in point: James Risen's New York Times editorial, "If Donald Trump Targets Journalists, Thank Obama":

If Donald J. Trump decides as president to throw a whistle-blower in jail for trying to talk to a reporter, or gets the F.B.I. to spy on a journalist, he will have one man to thank for bequeathing him such expansive power: Barack Obama.

Where was the MSM when Obama was over-reaching his authority? They looked the other way, since any criticism of the first black president would have been racist. That was when they weren't actively supporting Obama against whistle blowers like Edward Snowden.

Of course, the MSM had every reason to look the other way:

Criticism of Mr. Obama’s stance on press freedom, government transparency and secrecy is hotly disputed by the White House, but many journalism groups say the record is clear. Over the past eight years, the administration has prosecuted nine cases involving whistle-blowers and leakers, compared with only three by all previous administrations combined. It has repeatedly used the Espionage Act, a relic of World War I-era red-baiting, not to prosecute spies but to go after government officials who talked to journalists.

Under Mr. Obama, the Justice Department and the F.B.I. have spied on reporters by monitoring their phone records, labeled one journalist an unindicted co-conspirator in a criminal case for simply doing reporting and issued subpoenas to other reporters to try to force them to reveal their sources and testify in criminal cases.

To bring the full lethal force of the United States government, as Obama has done, against the fourth estate is a chilling act in a free country. When it is done repeatedly, then it becomes the norm, and our freedom becomes a little less free.

But now, the MSM is facing the monster they created with Obama:

Mr. Trump made his animus toward the news media clear during the presidential campaign, often expressing his disgust with coverage through Twitter or in diatribes at rallies. So if his campaign is any guide, Mr. Trump seems likely to enthusiastically embrace the aggressive crackdown on journalists and whistle-blowers that is an important yet little understood component of Mr. Obama’s presidential legacy.

If ever you need an example of why the MSM should never play political favorites, this is the perfect example why. Just because you like the president doesn't mean you let him do anything he wants. If you can't be objective about the president, you need to leave the journalism profession. Unfortunately, due to the MSM's malpractice of the last 8 years, that point may be moot.