Editorial: Donald Trump's discrimination of media outlets unacceptable

What a sight it was. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump finally held a press conference ahead of his inauguration, but refused to take any questions from a CNN reporter, accusing his organization of disseminating "fake news."

The CNN reporter responded how one would expect a journalist to respond in such a situation. He was persistent, repeatedly asking, "Since you are attacking our news organization, can you give us a chance to ask a question?"

Trump, meanwhile, completely refused to take any questions from the reporter, saying "I'm not going to give you a question," and "Don't be rude." In the biggest city in the supposedly democratic country that is the United States of America, Trump conducted himself as a dictator would.

What prompted Trump's behavior were reports by CNN and other media outlets about the possibility that Russia was in possession of compromising information -- both personal and financial -- regarding Trump.

It's fine for Trump to deny the allegations, but he has no right to refuse questions from media outlets that reported such information. If it was indeed "fake news," as Trump adamantly claimed it was, it would've served him well to allow the reporter to ask questions and to answer them with confidence, in order to dispel any doubts the public may have had.

Trump, who stated that there was so much "inaccurate news" disseminated during his presidential campaign, had not held any press conferences since he was elected president last November, opting instead to make statements through Twitter. As a result, communication was one-sided, with reporters given no opportunities to pose questions.

In just one week, U.S. President-elect Donald Trump will become U.S. President Donald Trump. President Barack Obama has given his farewell address, and attention is now wholly on the next president. Trump must honor his responsibility as the transition of power takes place, and be attentive to what kind of messages he delivers to the world, and through what means.

Tensions between those in power and the media are not uncommon. During his presidency in the 1980s, the late Ronald Reagan characterized journalists as "sharks circling ... with blood in the water" when reporters pressed him on his involvement in arms sales to Iran. Ultimately, however, a congressional investigative committee acknowledged Reagan's responsibility, forcing the then president to express regret and offer an explanation to the American public on national television.

In 2004, President George W. Bush stopped taking questions from a certain female reporter who had criticized the Iraq War. It was customary for the reporter to sit in the very front row at press conferences and be one of the first to ask a question, but from a certain point, she was forced to sit in the back of the room. Her case has been widely shared as an example of political pressure placed on the media during the Iraq War.

Media outlets must undoubtedly work to report accurately, and accurate reporting can at times prove to be inconvenient for those in power. But it goes without saying that for those in power to eliminate or discriminate against certain journalists will ultimately lead to induced public opinion and suppression of speech, and therefore a decline in democracy.

Donald Trump is about to become a superpower's most powerful person. And we hope that as he assumes the U.S. presidency, he will acknowledge and accept the value of the freedom of the press, which will at times include criticism of those in power.