Former Breitbart Spox Attributes Moore Loss to Free Press

“Let’s not forget that this race was competitive in the first place because of the diligence, competence and tenacity of some enterprising reporters at the Washington Post and the Birmingham News (among others). What happened tonight illustrates how impactful and important the free press is in our political process. No matter how much noise there is about the ‘fake news’ media, the fact remains that the frontline of defense for our Republic begins and ends with the ability to pursue the truth and tell it…”

— Kurt Bardella, who used to rep Breitbart and has become an outspoken critic of Bannon and the site, in an email to CNN’s Brian Stelter.

Our Secret Republican Government

“Inch by inch by inch, the Trump administration is rolling back press access, which means less information for the public. And lack of accessibility is only half the problem. Lack of accuracy in official statements is a big issue too. … The president’s anti-media defenders may support the administration’s approach, but it’s hard to justify the rollback in accountability. It’s not just the White House, either: the State Department and the Pentagon have all but stopped holding on-camera briefings, too. … This isn’t exclusive to the executive branch. There are heightened concerns about legislative branch secrecy as well.”

Brian Stelter