The War of Words: Media vs Trump

The War of Words: Media vs Trump

In a meeting with the President of the United States, the publisher of the NYT, AG Sulzberger, told the leader of the free world that his rhetoric was “increasingly dangerous”.

I warned that it was putting lives at risk, that it was undermining the democratic ideals of our nation, and that it was eroding one of our country’s greatest exports: a commitment to free speech and a free press.

According to Sulzberger, who made it clear that he was not asking the president to soften his attacks on the NYT if he felt his coverage was unfair, instead implored him to “reconsider his broader attacks on journalism”, which he believed were “dangerous and harmful to our country”.

There were no links or examples of any “broader attacks on journalism” in Sulzberger statements, so I went to look for them to see with my own eyes. In my admittedly brief search, I was unable to find any explicit statements deriding journalism in particular. Besides often speaking generally about the press and journalists, he has sometimes been more specific and explicit, even giving a percentage to the amount of dishonest journalists:

"I see it. I see the way they write. They're so damn dishonest," Trump said. "I don't mean all of them, because some of the finest people I know are journalists. Really. Hard to believe when I say that. I hate to say it, but I have to say. But 75 percent of those people are downright dishonest. Downright dishonest."”

But there is little explicit language about the field of journalism. Given that this is the common charge against the president’s rhetoric, even with a cursory glance we might expect to find many explicit examples.

In fact, an argument could be made that Trump is defending journalism. When Trump calls the Washington Post a “disgrace to journalism”, he is criticizing a news outlet for not living up to the standards of the field. Commentators have consistently stated that Trump hates the press because it makes him look bad, often dismissing his criticisms as the reaction of narcissist (without evidence), but he has consistently criticized the unfair and biased coverage. Fairness is an ethical pillar of journalism, and Trump has asked for this explicitly. Perhaps he is like most people, believing journalism has crucial role in society (8 in 10 Americans), but that the media utterly fails to fulfill that role.

This does not mean Trumps supporters never conflate “fake news media” with the profession of journalism – they often do, and perhaps dangerously so – but apparently Sulzberger and those in the media are also guilty of the same thing. When Trump criticizes some news outlets, the “fake news media”, it takes a giant leap to suggest he is talking about the profession of journalism itself.

With this myth so embedded in their very logic, some have even gone so far as to tenuously link the recent killings of 5 Capital Gazette employees to Trump’s rhetoric, even though there was never any link whatsoever. Many in the press even went so far as to claim Trump denied a request to lower flags to half-mast, dog whistling to their base that Trump’s animosity towards the press was the reason for doing so, when the delay was the result of flag-lowering protocol.

If the president’s rhetoric is dangerous and divisive according to Sulzberger and other publishers, then surely the rhetoric of the media is equally to blame. They have engaged in a years-long, negative smear campaign against the president and his supporters. According to Trump, this is the very reason he fights back.

The problem here is this war of words is not a fair fight. The president is one man. The media has a far greater reach and circulation than the president, and is even complicit in spreading Trump’s “dangerous” rhetoric among their own base of supporters. Their reporting is further disseminated on Late Night talks shows, whose hosts mock and dehumanize that one man to millions of viewers. The White House’s propaganda is tame and innocuous not only in comparison, but even on its own.

If we are to pretend that rhetoric can be dangerous and divisive, then the same should be said of the media, who fill our airwaves, social media, and print with their overwhelmingly negative rhetoric and imagery. The media creates “division” by refuting, excoriating, and lambasting Trump ad nauseum, when they could have just as easily remained neutral informers. They could have reported fairly on comments without the editorializing, without the moral posturing, and without the narrative forming.

Keeping in mind that journalists and editors overwhelmingly donated to the campaign of the president’s opposition, with nearly every editorial board endorsing her for president (and this in a field prized for its fairness, impartiality and objectivity), we should then ask who is really putting lives at risk, undermining the democratic ideals of our nation, and eroding one of America's greatest exports: a commitment to free speech and a free press.

Cited:

www.nytco.com...

www.nytimes.com...

www.washingtonpost.com... ml?noredirect=on&utm_term=.afbe4b618d86

knightfoundation.org...

money.cnn.com...

www.publicintegrity.org...

a reply to: Words


Our MSM is no different than the NGO's in countries that are fomenting rebellion in foreign countries where the Globalists are looking to take out someone they dislike in favor of putting in someone who will bow down to debt slavery to the IMF.

I question myself often as to if Trump is in fact part the WWF wrestling match to speed up the "Problem Reaction Solution" scenario often employed by the Globalist scum bags wanting power by destroying sovereign nations.

With that being said, I am happy that Trump revealed the corruption in our government. Whether it matters or will matter is up to those of us who so willingly allowed our rights to be bought and paid for by the Multinationals that pimp out our elected officials like the whores Trump has brought to light.

Either way you want to look at it? The USA is a target by the Globalists. Let the chips fall where they may. Molon Labe!

The only impact that Trump is having on the world that I'm worried about is what will come after he leaves office. Absolutely everything that happens at that high level changes everything that comes after. And often not in a good way. The Trump years have been (and will be) chaotic, messy, noisy, crazy times and I have a feeling nothing good will come of that. Reference the Bush years for an example of what's to come. Bush was bad enough and Obama was the aftermath. Trump is probably going to end up being far worse than Bush and the aftermath will be even worse than Obama.

a reply to: Words

Well obviously Trumps not trying to suppress the media from saying anything negative about him... His clearly all about freedom of the press.

He simply wants all the other MSM outlets to produce high quality & non-biased journalism, just like his beloved fox news clearly does...

a reply to: Words

War is Peace
Freedom is Slavery
Ignorance is Strength
Arbeit macht frei

originally posted by: BrianFlanders
The only impact that Trump is having on the world that I'm worried about is what will come after he leaves office. Absolutely everything that happens at that high level changes everything that comes after. And often not in a good way. The Trump years have been (and will be) chaotic, messy, noisy, crazy times and I have a feeling nothing good will come of that. Reference the Bush years for an example of what's to come. Bush was bad enough and Obama was the aftermath. Trump is probably going to end up being far worse than Bush and the aftermath will be even worse than Obama.

Have you not given any thought to if Trump was as bad as the Global/Corporate establishment is making him out to be he would be dead already? Just thinking outside the box rather than being a blind lemming to a political party. Also, I didn't trust nor like Bush, yet did you see the MSM promoting violence when Bush was president? Could you imagine 20 years ago hearing brain dead zombies saying "Free speech is hate speech."? or calling anyone who disagreed with your political view a racist or Nazi? I didn't see that childish nonsense come about until Trump RAN! RAN for office! He wasn't even elected! Yet the MSM promoted that SNIP!

It's one of 2 things! Either the world has gone absolutely Zombie apoc mad, or we are all being played. I only question Trump because of the people he has surrounded himself with, such as John Bolton and a few others. I like how he stands up for out country, yet as divided as we are thanks to the propaganda MSM, I can't help but think perhaps we are witnessing the beginning of the end and we are all pawns in the game. I don't care how smart any of us thing we are, these psychopaths that are fighting for control over the whole globe, are always way ahead of us. We know what they allow us to know. Nothing more.

originally posted by: Subaeruginosa
a reply to: Words

Well obviously Trumps not trying to suppress the media from saying anything negative about him... His clearly all about freedom of the press.

He simply wants all the other MSM outlets to produce high quality & non-biased journalism, just like his beloved fox news clearly does...

He has explicitly stated his problem with the media countless times. What he hasn’t done is stated that he wants positive reporting to boost his ego, even though many in the media state otherwise.

If journalists want to be taken seriously again then they are going to need to restore their lost integrity and start reporting the news instead of editorializing. I rarely see a fair and balanced news story on any network these days. They take what happened and then try to tell you what to think which is bullcrap.

I am old enough to remember when a journalist would simply report what happened and lef the audience to draw their own conclusion. Sometimes at the end of the news program their would be an opinion segment which was clearly labeled such.

These days what passes for the “news” is all opinion and much of what we don’t see reported is as telling as what is considered newsworthy.

Journalistic integrity used to be a thing. Now I imagine you would be laughed at if you tried to use that phrase. It really is sad

originally posted by: Metallicus
If journalists want to be taken seriously again then they are going to need to restore their lost integrity and start reporting the news instead of editorializing. I rarely see a fair and balanced news story on any network these days. They take what happened and then try to tell you what to think which is bullcrap.

I am old enough to remember when a journalist would simply report what happened and lef the audience to draw their own conclusion. Sometimes at the end of the news program their would be an opinion segment which was clearly labeled such.

These days what passes for the “news” is all opinion and much of what we don’t see reported is as telling as what is considered newsworthy.

Journalistic integrity used to be a thing. Now I imagine you would be laughed at if you tried to use that phrase. It really is sad

It’s almost as if ethics and integrity in journalism is an old quaint idea, whereas activist journalism has become the norm.

originally posted by: Words

originally posted by: Metallicus
If journalists want to be taken seriously again then they are going to need to restore their lost integrity and start reporting the news instead of editorializing. I rarely see a fair and balanced news story on any network these days. They take what happened and then try to tell you what to think which is bullcrap.

I am old enough to remember when a journalist would simply report what happened and lef the audience to draw their own conclusion. Sometimes at the end of the news program their would be an opinion segment which was clearly labeled such.

These days what passes for the “news” is all opinion and much of what we don’t see reported is as telling as what is considered newsworthy.

Journalistic integrity used to be a thing. Now I imagine you would be laughed at if you tried to use that phrase. It really is sad

It’s almost as if ethics and integrity in journalism is an old quaint idea, whereas activist journalism has become the norm.

Not too hard to believe when most of em work for 4 Multinational Corporations? The other stragglers working in the gutters are just hoping they tow the line enough to get hired by one of the 4.

a reply to: Words

a reply to: Words

The MSM should sue trump! He calls facts fake news! Not okay! Of coarse his followers believe everything he says. Lie, after lie.

originally posted by: kurthall
a reply to: Words

The MSM should sue trump! He calls facts fake news! Not okay! Of coarse his followers believe everything he says. Lie, after lie.

You an yours call people Nazi's and White Supremacists for not agreeing with you and your political beliefs, so should those you call those things be able to sue you?

Odd how authoritarian you guys get. You showing up in Portland armed this weekend?

originally posted by: Words

originally posted by: Subaeruginosa
a reply to: Words

Well obviously Trumps not trying to suppress the media from saying anything negative about him... His clearly all about freedom of the press.

He simply wants all the other MSM outlets to produce high quality & non-biased journalism, just like his beloved fox news clearly does...

He has explicitly stated his problem with the media countless times.

Well on this point we could probably both agree... He "explicitly" rants & screams the phase 'FAKE NEWS', every time the press says something negative about him.

I suppose that could be correctly defined as 'explicitly stating'... lol.

Either way you look at it, Trump is no advocate of integrity in journalism... he's simply just aware that their is a lack of integrity in journalism these days, then uses that to play the poor little victim card anytime the MSM paints him in negative light.

Its no different to a criminal who happens to be black, who plays the profiling & racism card when they get caught red handed committing a crime.

a reply to: Subaeruginosa

Well on this point we could probably both agree... He "explicitly" rants & screams the phase 'FAKE NEWS', every time the press says something negative about him.

I suppose that could be correctly defined as 'explicitly stating'... lol.

Either way you look at it, Trump is no advocate of integrity in journalism... he's simply just aware that their is a lack of integrity in journalism these days, then uses that to play the poor little victim card anytime the MSM paints him in negative light.

Its no different to a criminal who happens to be black, who plays the profiling & racism card when they get caught red handed committing a crime.

That's a good way to pooh-pooh the president's arguments, or dismiss them outright, but that's a vast array of assumptions in one post. You can take his arguments at their word, or you can invent reasons for why he is criticizing them with the help of an active imagination.

a reply to: Words

Sorry.. but I don't feel that constantly ranting the phrase "FAKE NEWS" is either an in depth or compelling argument... nor is it a sign of a strong & mentally competent leader.

...Maybe that's just my "active imagination" speaking though

originally posted by: seeker1963

originally posted by: kurthall
a reply to: Words

The MSM should sue trump! He calls facts fake news! Not okay! Of coarse his followers believe everything he says. Lie, after lie.

You an yours call people Nazi's and White Supremacists for not agreeing with you and your political beliefs, so should those you call those things be able to sue you?

Odd how authoritarian you guys get. You showing up in Portland armed this weekend?

Typical, you lump everyone from a small group, into, all of us, who wont stand and tolerate his lies. He lies on Twitter, and that is going to bite him.

Muller was looking into trumps tweets last week. You can not lie to the American people, the amount trump does, and expect nothing to happen!

originally posted by: Subaeruginosa
a reply to: Words

Sorry.. but I don't feel that constantly ranting the phrase "FAKE NEWS" is either an in depth or compelling argument... nor is it a sign of a strong & mentally competent leader.

...Maybe that's just my "active imagination" speaking though

In other words, you haven't heard or considered his arguments, opting instead for the media's portrayal. Active imagination, or maybe propaganda.

originally posted by: kurthall

originally posted by: seeker1963

originally posted by: kurthall
a reply to: Words

The MSM should sue trump! He calls facts fake news! Not okay! Of coarse his followers believe everything he says. Lie, after lie.

You an yours call people Nazi's and White Supremacists for not agreeing with you and your political beliefs, so should those you call those things be able to sue you?

Odd how authoritarian you guys get. You showing up in Portland armed this weekend?

Typical, you lump everyone from a small group, into, all of us, who wont stand and tolerate his lies. He lies on Twitter, and that is going to bite him.

Muller was looking into trumps tweets last week. You can not lie to the American people, the amount trump does, and expect nothing to happen!

What American people are you talking about? The ones who believe as you do? Perhaps I won't tolerate your lies either. Because you are promoting overthrowing an elected president because you are butt hurt. How well do you think that will go over???? Hmmmmm??? You ready for war?

a reply to: Words

Trump doesn't have any "argument", his far to smart for that... He knows most peoples attention spans aren't equipped to comprehend an intelligent and well thought out "argument".

He just uses one liner pro-conservative catch phrases over and over... then every once in a while claims to be a poor little victim to the evil left wing MSM.

From his point of view, its probably kinda like playing a high stakes poker game with a bunch of chimpanzees.