Citing “extraordinary times,” powerful actors union SAG-AFTRA issued a resolution Friday meant to condemn President Trump, a member of the union whose name the resolution deliberately leaves out. This is not the first time the union has rebuked its Hollywood-hated member.
While the resolution passed unanimously by over 400 delegates representing the 160,000-member union on Friday fails to call out Trump by name, it begins by quoting his repeated description of the media as “the enemy of the people.”
“We are living in an extraordinary time when the news media has been attacked as spreading false stories and as an enemy of the people,” the resolution reads.
“SAG-AFTRA has on at least two occasions since the last national convention, issued strong statements on behalf of a free and unencumbered press,” it continues. “SAG-AFTRA believes that the entities that employ journalists must do everything they can to ensure their freedom, protection and safety.”
“As a proud labor union representing more than 160,000 broadcasters, actors and entertainers, the union stands with all of its members in ensuring that the basic rights of an unrestricted and independent press continue to be defended,” it concludes.
The resolution is the third pro-free press, anti-Trump statement passed by the union. The first was issued within the first month of Trump’s presidency, three days after he slammed the “fake news media” as “the enemy of the people.”
“The FAKE NEWS media (failing @nytimes, @NBCNews, @ABC, @CBS, @CNN) is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American People!” Trump tweeted.
The FAKE NEWS media (failing @nytimes, @NBCNews, @ABC, @CBS, @CNN) is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American People!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 17, 2017
In response, the powerful union passed a resolution on February 20, which, like its shorter more recent resolution on the free press, opted not to name Trump:
As a union whose membership includes broadcast and online journalists, SAG-AFTRA champions the rights of a free press, whose primary role is to provide citizens with the information they need to effectively govern a democracy. These rights are guaranteed by the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which establishes that the press shall be free from government interference in the dissemination of information, ideas and opinions.
SAG-AFTRA, journalists and non-journalists alike, supports a free and unencumbered press and stands with any journalist who might find his or her ability to report on our government challenged or compromised.
SAG-AFTRA believes first and foremost that citizens in a democracy need the truth. Furthermore, SAG-AFTRA believes that journalists have an obligation to monitor and question those in power, pointing out wrongdoing when they find it, noting when facts asserted are not supported by evidence, and reporting inconsistencies in the positions of public figures.
As working professionals, members of the news media have an obligation to verify the accuracy of what they report, with loyalty only to their readers, listeners and viewers and not to any political party, affiliation, or ideology.
As a proud labor union representing more than 160,000 broadcasters, actors and entertainers SAG-AFTRA stands with all of its members in ensuring that the basic rights of a free and independent press continue to be upheld.
SAG-AFTRA issued a similar defense of the free press just eight months later in direct response to Trump asking in a tweet “at what point is it appropriate to challenge” the “fake news”-producing media’s “license.”