Members of the news media now every day wake up to cover a President who, in addition to favoring Twitter over the Fourth Estate as a means for mass communications, treats them unprofessionally– he maligns them publicly, routinely and aggressively. For example, on Wednesday, at a White House event celebrating Black History Month, Mr. Donald J. Trump repeated his belief that the news media is the opposition party, and it’s populated by extremely dishonest people. In return, most of them simply question whether it’s appropriate to call his lies a lie. Its’ an odd relationship to say the least, one where many journalists seem to bite the pillow, grin and bear, and take their degrading in stride in hopes of maintaining or gaining their institutions, and themselves, a sliver of access to an administration who appear annoyed by their very existence.
The majority of the American news media is still etching out their game-plan using a rule-book that their subjects have thrown out; indeed, it’s like playing Chess with someone who believe the Rooks can move diagonally and pawns can perform a triple jump. Mr. Trump is a rule breaker, thus the news media should follow suit or risk being unequally yoked and outmatched religiously.
A “come to Jesus moment” has arrived in the present for news media professionals, said MSNBC’s Mrs. Joy-Ann Reid, who was in Philadelphia Monday – joined by The New York Times’ Mr. Charles Blow – at the University of Pennsylvania for their annual MLK Lecture in Social Justice.
Mrs. Reid – who during the 2016 campaign graciously yet forcefully mitigated the lies told, and spin spun by Trump surrogates on her weekend television program – said because Mr. Trump is acting differently, the news media must adopt a new attitude and approach to business.
The normal mode of business for journalists and their outlets have been to pursue access: the better relationships you have with news-makers, the better the news program will be. But with the Trump administration, access won’t help, said Mrs. Reid, who suggested that, at a certain point, conversations with those serving at the pleasure of Mr. Trump – like Mrs. Kellyanne Conway, for example – are subtracting from the public knowledge rather than adding to it.
Of Mrs. Conway, Mr. Blow, an opinion journalist, said “I’ve yet to watch an interview with her where I haven’t detected at least one lie.”
Two new rules of engagement were offered up Monday: Mr. Blow suggested habitual liars, though they occasionally make for good television because of how fiery segments become, should no longer have access to the airwaves – media companies aren’t doing their viewers a service by exposing them to foolishness, his sentiment was. Mrs. Reid recommended that access journalism decline in proliferation while more resources be allocated to investigative and probing journalistic endeavors; rather than getting information from duplicitous newsmakers, “we need people of good character to leak to us.”
It is my opinion that now, more than ever, a strong, free and fair press is needed to maintain checks and balances in America. Journalists must come to work prepared to play the game – no matter how challenging it is – and not get played. The media is a powerful tool, and no one man should believe they are above it and their powers supersede it.
The American news media has a rich history of ruthlessness and cutting the larger than life down to size, that history should inform journalists’ actions in the present. If Mr. Trump is determined to make his Rook move diagonally, then journalists should have their Knights perform a Tic-Tac-Toe; the point is whatever game Mr. Trump wants to play, force him to play yours instead and checkmate him in the process.
Thanks for reading. Until next time, I’m Flood the Drummer® & I’m Drumming for JUSTICE!™
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If Mr. Trump is determined to make his Rook move diagonally, then journalists should have their Knights perform a Tic-Tac-Toe; the point is whatever game Mr. Trump wants to play, force him to play yours instead and checkmate him in the process. People aren’t upset about changing the rules of the game. People are upset that someone they have designated as the enemy is doing something they would advocate doing and have done in the past. In other words the same people that are mad about Trump lying now will turn around and still claim “women make 21 cents less… Read more »
“Mr. Donald J. Trump repeated his belief that the news media is the opposition party,” “the point is whatever game Mr. Trump wants to play, force him to play yours instead and checkmate him in the process.” Because even you know Trump is right they are the opposition party or at least agents of theirs. How else do you explain media member handing Clinton debate questions hosted by the media prior to the debate so she could run them through her focus groups? Fact is Trump is just playing the same game that every president has played. Clinton never had… Read more »