Weekend Reader:  Shooting the messenger.

Weekend Reader:  Shooting the messenger.

Before Trump and Hannity, there was Sophocles, Plutarch, and Shakespeare. Everybody loves shooting the messenger.

In the wake of yet another uniquely American tragedy in which five died in a mass shooting in Annapolis, Maryland, it's time to look at the hatred that is spewed at journalists from some dark corners of our society.


Of course, it's nothing new -- except for the part that the Most Powerful Man in the Free World, leader of the world's largest and, for now, most successful democracy, has cast journalism as "fake news" and its practitioners as enemies of the state.

But take a step back. When Trump spleen-tweets about the "failing New York Times" or his most ardent supporters snarl and flip the one-fingered Jersey Salute at the occupants of the press pen at a Presidential rally, consider looking at it a little bit differently.

At the very core of it, they don't hate newspeople. They hate the news.

"No man loves the messenger of ill," wrote Sophocles in Antigone, back in the 4th Century BC. Roughly five centuries later, Plutarch, he of the Failing Roman Empire, wrote "The first messenger that gave notice of Lucullus's coming was so far from pleasing Tigranes that he had his head cut off for his pains."

And fifteen centuries after that, William Shakespeare had Cleopatra offering to make a rich man out of the messenger who brings the news that her beloved Marc Antony is still alive. But then moments later, she offers to remove the man's eyeballs on the news that Antony has married Octavia. (A note of thanks to the ancient scrolls of the World Wide Web for this historical perspective.)

Journalists are targets and always will be -- not for who they are, but for what they say. This is no consolation for grieving families and colleagues at the Capital Gazette, or for the much larger toll of journalists who are killed internationally. The Committee to Protect Journalists monitors such things, and they've tracked 28 journalist deaths worldwide at the midway point of 2018. Last year, 262 journalists were imprisoned. The five deaths in Annapolis put the U.S. in third place for the year, behind only Afghanistan and Syria.

Jarrod Ramos, the suspect in the Maryland massacre, had a longstanding grudge against the Capital Gazette and its staff. His troubles with the paper substantially pre-date President Trump's labelling of the press as enemies of the state. In a condolence statement for the Gazette victims and their families, Trump said "Journalists, like all Americans, should be free from the fear of being violently attacked while doing their jobs."

It's a noble statement, but it's one that would more easily be realized if the President didn't channel hatred toward those same journalists. In a 2017 rally, Trump lumped all journalists into the category of "sick people." And his strongest supporters routinely stop by the press "pen" at his rallies to rain invective on the working reporters and photographers. Trump's EPA has been a pioneer in adversarial behavior with its press corps, famously shoving a reporter out of a public event in May.

At some point, Jarrod Ramos turned the corner from obsessive enmity toward the Capital Gazette to mass murder of its staff. There's no way to know whether the Trump Administration's unprecedented and obvious hatred of a free press was a factor. But the paranoia and secrecy (Remember the tax returns? They're still at large), combined with Trump's dog-whistle Hate-the-Press suggestions make the noble trade of keeping the public informed a more dangerous one.

Trump can still count on a sycophantic segment of the press to deliver his message to a gullible base. Not unconnected to the Trump-press discontinuum, former Fox News co-President Bill Shine took a job this week as the new White House Communications Director. If you're in bed with the guy, Bill, you might as well make it official.

Top Weekend News

A Federal jury awarded $25 million to a rural North Carolina couple who sued Smithfield Foods for the odors and pollution from a neighboring hog mega-farm. (Wall Street Journal)

Federal officials say a waterless catastrophe in the Southwest is becoming more likely. (Arizona Daily Star).

Lost in the uproar at the border: How prolonged drought and other symptoms of climate change are contributing to the exodus from Central America to the U.S. (PRI's Living One Earth)

Opinion Pieces and Editorials

Christine Todd Whitman, GW Bush's EPA Boss, says the oil industry is attempting to undermine EV's with disinformation. (CNBC)

Michael E. Mann, Thomas C. Peterson, and Susan Joy Hassol on what we know -- and what we don't -- on the link between climate change and hurricanes. (Scientific American)

This Week in Trump

A 2014 Heartland Institute document is being revived. It calls for abolishing EPA in favor of a 50-state commission. (Nexus Media)

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who shocked a powerful Democratic incumbent in Tuesday's Congressional primary, arguably has the most interesting energy platform of any candidate in the 2016 elections. (Quartz)

At first, EPA's ethics officer defended Scott Pruitt. Not any more. (New York Times)

Podcasts of Note

EHN/Daily Climate's Peter Dykstra and Living On Earth host Steve Curwood on a first for invasive species, and an apparent EPA coverup effort.

A sign on a concrete building reading "United States Environmental Protection Agency."
Credit: marcnorman/BigStock Photo ID: 21123533

New EPA reorganization may quietly dismantle chemical health watchdog

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is moving to gut its independent chemical risk program, potentially stalling regulation of dangerous substances and handing a long-sought victory to the chemical industry.

Molly Taft reports for Wired.

Keep reading...Show less
Solar panels and wind turbones in a grassy field with mountains in background.
Credit: Fahroni/BigStock Photo ID: 462747775

Republican divide over green energy tax credits could shake up party megabill

A group of House Republicans is clashing with party leaders over plans to gut clean energy tax credits, raising the possibility of a GOP showdown.

Kelsey Brugger, Andres Picon, Nico Portuondo and Manuel Quiñones report for Politico.

Keep reading...Show less
Brown wooden gavel on a bed of $100 dollar bills.

Trump moves to shield oil companies from climate lawsuits as states push back

Over 30 states and cities suing oil giants for climate damages now face direct legal opposition from the Trump administration, which has begun suing states to block their cases.

Karen Zraick reports for The New York Times.

Keep reading...Show less
The U.S. Congress building in Washington DC with a fountain in the foreground during daytime.

EPA freezes environmental justice grants as Zeldin defends budget cuts before Congress

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency drew bipartisan criticism in a contentious Senate hearing over whether the agency defied federal law by halting billions in climate and environmental justice grants.

Matthew Daly reports for The Associated Press.

Keep reading...Show less
Solar panels in a green field under partly cloudy skies.

Trump administration moves to raise fees for solar and wind projects on federal land

The U.S. Interior Department plans to revoke a Biden-era rule that slashed costs for renewable energy developers using federal lands, a step back toward fossil fuel-friendly policies.

Nichola Groom reports for Reuters.

Keep reading...Show less
Flattened plastic bottles ready for recycling.

Plastic pollution may be accelerating global warming by disrupting Earth's carbon cycles

Plastic production emits about 5% of global greenhouse gases, but scientists warn that microplastics may also hinder the planet's natural ability to store carbon, amplifying climate change beyond current estimates.

Nicolás Rivero reports for The Washington Post.

Keep reading...Show less
Damaged beach house with erosion visible at base and metal stilts supporting part of the structure.

Staff shortages at National Weather Service raise safety concerns ahead of hurricane season

A wave of retirements and layoffs has left the National Weather Service scrambling to fill critical roles as the Atlantic hurricane season approaches, raising bipartisan fears about the nation’s storm readiness.

Zack Colman reports for POLITICO.

Keep reading...Show less
From our Newsroom
Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

Multiple Houston-area oil and gas facilities that have violated pollution laws are seeking permit renewals

One facility has emitted cancer-causing chemicals into waterways at levels up to 520% higher than legal limits.

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

Regulators are underestimating health impacts from air pollution: Study

"The reality is, we are not exposed to one chemical at a time.”

Pennsylvania governor Josh Shapiro speaks with the state flag and American flag behind him.

Two years into his term, has Gov. Shapiro kept his promises to regulate Pennsylvania’s fracking industry?

A new report assesses the administration’s progress and makes new recommendations

silhouette of people holding hands by a lake at sunset

An open letter from EPA staff to the American public

“We cannot stand by and allow this to happen. We need to hold this administration accountable.”

wildfire retardants being sprayed by plane

New evidence links heavy metal pollution with wildfire retardants

“The chemical black box” that blankets wildfire-impacted areas is increasingly under scrutiny.

Stay informed: sign up for The Daily Climate newsletter
Top news on climate impacts, solutions, politics, drivers. Delivered to your inbox week days.