From the Observation Deck:  Where do I begin…?

Having just watched The Trump’s performance at CPAC full of sound and fury praising and exalting himself, it’s hard to pick out what to comment upon first.  So, for starters I chose his attack on the “anonymous sources” in the “false press.”  (Note: “false press” means those that criticize him.)  This is a topic I know a great deal about and one about which The Trump knows nothing. For nine years in the 60s and 70s I was a full time correspondent for Fairchild Publications, a New York publisher of business newspapers, three dailies and seven weeklies as well as Men’s Wear Magazine.  We had bureaus all over Europe and in Tokyo.  When correspondent in Paris, NATO was part of my beat and when Bureau Chief for Italy in Milan I covered trade with America.  I had many sources inside NATO and in the Italian equivalent of the Department of Commerce.  Any serious journalist (and despite The Trump’s anti-press rantings, there are still a great many serious journalists) cultivates inside sources.  They are a journalist’s life blood.   Journalists need to get accurate information, that is their job and protecting the sources identity is part the agreement—you give me good information I will not reveal your identity.  Anything, anything that appeared questionable was challenged by my editors in New York.  They would query me on the validity of my source and I told them so they editor and publisher knew but my source was protected. It happened to me 60 years ago and I know it happens today.  So don’t believe The Trump on “anonymous sources”—he has no idea what he’s talking about.  As a final note, The Trump attacking “anonymous sources” is totally hypocritical.  Just recall how many times The Trump cites, “Lots of people agree with me…”   “Everybody knows I’m right…”  “I have a friend who told me…”

This is for those of you who like journalism lore:  When sending stories to New York, by cable (no Internet then) I sometimes would send in “takes” that is, one page at a time.  At the bottom of each take I would type  “-more-” meaning there was more to come. 

   -more-