Foreign journalists face uncertain future

WHEN US President Donald Trump berated an Australian reporter for asking an unpleasant question, his colleagues took that as a warning.

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With the administration planning to slash correspondent visas and issuing not-so-veiled warnings, foreign journalists find themselves under pressure in the US.

Earlier this week, a journalist from the Australian Broadcasting Corporation asked Trump about his business dealings while in office. Trump was visibly irritated.

“In my opinion, you are hurting Australia very much right now, and they want to get along with me,’ Trump told the reporter, John Lyons. “Your leader is coming over to see me very soon. I’m gonna tell him about you. You set a very bad tone.”

The exchange was widely discussed in Washington media circles.

One foreign correspondent, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said ‘Trump’s hostility toward the media was not concentrated on foreigners.

“When Trump insults a journalist, it doesn’t matter to him whether it’s a foreigner or not,’ the correspondent said.