Germany’s Merkel backs free press amid Trump media criticism

United States Vice President Mike Pence (left) and German Chancellor Angela Merkel meet for bilateral talks during the Munich Security Conference in Munich, Germany, Saturday, Feb. 18, 2017. The annual weekend gathering is known for providing an open and informal platform to meet in close quarters. (Photo by MATTHIAS SCHRADER/AP)

MUNICH — German Chancellor Angela Merkel has told an audience including US Vice President Mike Pence that she supports a “free, independent press” and that Germany has good experience with mutual respect between the government and the media.

Merkel was asked Saturday at the Munich Security Conference whether she doubts the quality of American newspaper reporting on domestic politics. The question came after President Donald Trump tweeted that “The FAKE NEWS media … is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American People!”

Merkel, who didn’t refer to Trump in her reply, said she largely reads German newspapers but “apart from that, I advocate a free, independent press and have high respect for journalists.”

She added: “We have always had very good experience, at least in Germany, with mutual respect.”