I think those sorts of responses to legitimate questions seeking information on the public's behalf—because that's what journalists are doing—harm journalism as a whole and erode the notion of trust we have, and we've seen it eroding over time.
Journalists aren't perfect. We make mistakes, and we shouldn't get away with them, but I think pushing back and questioning the integrity of a journalist when the journalist is basically doing their job is really problematic. It erodes the whole process.
Journalists are out there doing the job that people can't do as part of their regular life because they're working; they're raising their kids. Journalists are playing the role of being present to ask those questions on behalf of the public.
The message I give to my students is not to be cowed by this. We can't give up. We have to stick with it, even though at times it seems like it's a really difficult battle, as we're seeing from these types of responses. Also, the attacks, verbal and otherwise, on journalists as they go about doing their jobs—like TV reporters who are harassed in the field—are all part of an erosion of the democratic process, which makes it difficult for people to get the information they need to participate in local democracy.