A reporter interrupted a White House press briefing to hit out at the Trump administration's "inflammatory" approach.
It came as Donald Trump and other White House officials launched a fresh wave of criticism against the media, slamming major outlets as "fake news".
The latest remarks came in the wake of three CNN journalists resigning after the US news network was forced to retract a story about an alleged Russia investigation.
The news provoked a string of tweets from President Trump, who has been a long-time critic of CNN and several other major US news outlets.
Wow, CNN had to retract big story on "Russia," with 3 employees forced to resign. What about all the other phony stories they do? FAKE NEWS!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 27, 2017
In a press briefing, White House spokesperson Sarah Huckabee Sanders said: "All we are saying is I think we should take a really good look at what we are focused on, what we are covering and making sure it's accurate and honest.
"If we make the slightest mistake, the slightest word is off... it's an absolute tirade from a lot of people in this room. But news outlets get to go on, day after day, and cite unnamed sources, use stories without sources..."
However, the comments provoked reporter Brian Karem to speak up against the administration's approach.
MUST WATCH: White House reporter @BrianKarem pushing back against Sarah Huckabee Sanders and saying what many people have been thinking. pic.twitter.com/hW49e0tdWY
— Yashar Ali (@yashar) June 27, 2017
He argued: "Why in the name of heavens... Any one of us are replaceable, any one of us... if we don't get it right, the audience has the opportunity to turn the channel, or not read us. You have been elected to serve for four years at least: there's no option other than that.
"We're here to ask you questions - you're here to provide answers. And what you just did is inflammatory to people all over the country who look at it and say - 'see, once again, the president is right and everybody else out here is fake media.'"
He added: "Everybody in this room is only trying to do their job.”
So, when we are wrong we correct ourselves but when has POTUS ever done that? We are not FAKE news.
— Brian J. Karem (@BrianKarem) June 27, 2017
Sanders responded by suggesting it was "outrageous for you to accuse me of inflaming a story when I was simply trying to respond to his question."
The Guardian reports that Sanders also urged journalists to watch an anti-CNN video by a right-wing activist, "whether it’s accurate or not".
