In what could be filed under the “too-good-to-be-true” category, North Korea’s preeminent state-run newspaper Rodong Sinmun commemorated this month’s World Press Freedom Day by praising and defending two Washington, D.C. journalists — former longtime White House correspondent Helen Thomas and Politico media blogger Dylan Byers.
In an article posted on Friday, The Washington Post’s Max Fisher pointed out that North Korea seemed to be applauding Byers for an April 9 post he made about a North Korea missile test. In the post, Byers pointed out concerns from the White House that the U.S. media might overhype it.
In April last year a reporter of U.S. news website “Politico” visited the DPRK in connection with its launch of globe observation satellite “Kwangmyongsong-3.”
The reporter exposed that the White House said reports on the DPRK’s launch of satellite is free propaganda for the DPRK and demanded news reporters not conspire with “Korea”s propaganda activities.”
The U.S. pressmen are cripple reporters under gag law.
Byers followed up Friday morning by denying he had ever visited the DPRK.
Rodong Sinmun also spoke against the political correctness that drove Thomas to resign from her post as a Hearst newspaper columnist after she told Jews to “go home” in 2010.
A vivid proof of it is an early retirement of Helen Thomas, one of a few White House reporters.
Requested by his colleague to comment on the Israel issue, he said Israel should withdraw from Palestine, an occupied territory.
There was nothing wrong in his remark.
But, unable to bear down the repeated pressure of the U.S. authorities siding with Israel, Thomas made public a statement of “apology” and made the last parting with his job.
(h/t Washington Post)