Miami (December 18, 2024) — The Inter American Press Association (IAPA) expresses its alarm and concern over the lawsuit filed by the President-elect of the United States, Donald Trump, against the Des Moines Register and its parent company, Gannett. The legal action, filed in an Iowa state court, alleges consumer fraud under a state law on the matter, based on a poll published on November 2 that projected a three-percentage-point lead for Democratic candidate Kamala Harris in the state.
The lawsuit not only accuses the poll of being "a fiction of electoral interference" but also claims that "millions of Americans were deceived," according to local news reports.
"Media outlets play an essential role in modern democracies by providing independent information and analysis that enable citizens to make informed decisions," said the IAPA President José Roberto Dutriz. "Challenging this role through legal actions aimed at intimidating and silencing the press sets a dangerous precedent and threatens the fundamental values of freedom of expression," added Dutriz, who is also president and CEO of La Prensa Gráfica in El Salvador.
Lark-Marie Anton, spokeswoman for the The Des Moines Register, stated, " We believe this lawsuit is without merit. We have acknowledged that the Selzer/Des Moines Register pre-election poll did not reflect the ultimate margin of President Trump's Election Day victory in Iowa by releasing the poll's full demographics, cross-tabs, weighted and unweighted data, as well as a technical explanation from pollster Ann Selzer."
Anton added, "We stand by our reporting on the matter and will vigorously defend our First Amendment rights."
Carlos Jornet (La Voz del Interior, Argentina), the IAPA's Second Vice President and Chair of the Committee on Freedom of the Press and Information, noted that "the use of legal claims to intimidate media outlets is a coercive tool that contravenes international standards on press freedom. We urge President-elect Trump to respect the fundamental role that free and independent media play in a democracy."
This is the second time in recent months that Trump has used state consumer fraud laws to target a media outlet. In October, he filed a lawsuit against CBS News in a federal court in Texas, alleging that the news program 60 Minutes engaged in deceptive business practices by airing an interview with Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris.
This approach, which includes seeking favorable legal jurisdictions, reflects a broader strategy by the President-elect and his team to use the judicial system as a tool to attack critical media.
Last week, ABC Television Network reached an out-of-court settlement in a defamation lawsuit filed by the President-elect, paying $15 million and an additional $1 million in legal fees, which seems to have emboldened him. Trump had filed the defamation suit against ABC and anchor George Stephanopoulos after the latter claimed that the President-elect had been found "liable for rape" in a civil case, according to press reports.
Trump, who frequently refers to journalists as "enemies of the people," has repeatedly described his desire to be treated "fairly." However, his interpretation of fairness often appears to be media coverage that does not question him.
The IAPA is a non-profit organization dedicated to defending and promoting freedom of the press and expression in the Americas. It comprises more than 1,300 publications from the western hemisphere and is based in Miami, Florida, United States.
