There are quite a lot of things about the very unconventional American president, Donald Trump, that make people nervous, but perhaps one of the biggest ones is his treatment of the media. One of Trump’s favorite phrases is “fake news”, and his relationship with American media is pretty tense.
His harsh criticisms of the media have led many to worry that the Trump administration will make attempts to crack down on the free American press. Such a move would fall right in line with the perception of many that Trump is an authoritarian, dictator-like figure.
But as much as we should certainly chastise any President who so carelessly disparages the media in the way he does, there’s a point hidden under the president’s layers of rhetorical manipulation. Let’s step behind the dominant narrative and take a closer look at the dynamics between Trump and the media.
Donald Trump Is Right, Much Of The Media Is “FAKE NEWS!”
Why do you think Donald Trump gets away with lashing out against the media in a country that cares so deeply about freedom of speech? Simple – because he’s not wrong.
Look, the President of the United States calling the media fake news sets a dangerous precedent. Having his aides come out and tell people that the only place they can hope to get the truth is from the President himself is even worse. Worst of all is the fact that the Trump administration, in reality, is a lot less reputable than the media.
But that doesn’t mean he’s wrong about the media being full of it. Americans don’t trust the biggest media outlets in the country because they really aren’t prioritizing the unabashed truth…
He’s Ignoring The Real Reason For It
I’m not trying to give Trump too much credit here. It looks like he’s exploiting the reality that American media is highly corrupt to give himself more political power. Trump’s explanation for what’s wrong with the media comes down to liberal bias and how much the left hate him.
But the truth of what is wrong with the media is that six huge companies own all of the major American media outlets. The agenda of most of these outlets is to tell a story that keeps a certain world order in place – a world order that a few people are profiting handsomely off of.
When all of the major media companies are owned by the same super rich people who buy politicians and buy access to the law making process, we have a very dangerous situation. Not only do the rich control the political process, but they also control the information we receive so that we are less able to respond and fight back.
But that isn’t what Donald Trump is saying. He hasn’t once mentioned the true cause of mainstream media lies – he pretends it’s all about him and how much the liberal elite hates him.
The Media Loved Donald Trump…But Hated Bernie Sanders
If Trump thinks the media is the enemy now, he didn’t about a year ago. A large part of the rise of Trump’s popularity was due to him literally always being in the news. Media couldn’t get enough of his shocking comments – it brought in ratings, it was funny, it was exciting, it was a sexy thing to talk about.
The truth is that the media was never really that much of an enemy of Trump – but it did look like they were actively working against another candidate: Bernie Sanders. At one point, CNN showed a video of an empty Trump podium for an extended period of time while Bernie Sanders gave a speech in another state that went uncovered. Analysts have found that major media outlets gave Sanders less coverage and more negative coverage, while constantly covering Donald Trump and making a circus out of him.
It makes sense when you think about the fact that, while Donald Trump was blaming the nation’s problems on immigrants, protestors, leftists, Muslims and other groups of people, Sanders was blaming the people who own the politicians and the media. Covering Trump had less of a personal cost than covering someone like Bernie Sanders, who was really exposing you.
What The Media Misses About Trump’s Popularity
With the election cycle over, Trump no longer has use for the media. Before, it was used to prop him up politically. Now, most of the media is trying to tear him down.
Unfortunately, without addressing their own faults and shortcomings, the media just isn’t the ideal opponent of Donald Trump. They target him for his bigotry, his ignorance, his lack of American values, his threats to the constitution. But they forget that people have a good reason to be skeptical of their words.
The media sits wide-eyed and open-jaw trying to figure out what makes Trump so popular with their base. At the same time, the American people are in agreement that the media is dishonest, corrupt and misleading. When Trump chastises the media, there’s a fair percentage of Americans that are cheering him on – not because they don’t believe in freedom of the press, but that they see that this press is anything but free.
The alternative world-view that Trump is providing is even more of a fantasy than the picture the media tries to paint. But when mainstream media outlets make it their mission to hold him accountable, they might just be pushing Trump’s base closer and closer to him.
To many Trump supporters, it looks like the president is fighting against very legitimate shortcomings of the corporate media. People are angry at an alliance between wealthy interests, politics and media, and they have every right to be. Trump is apparently quite keen to it, as he’s using it to boost his own political popularity.
What are we supposed to do about it?
This leaves us in a very delicate situation. If the dynamic is Trump vs. the Media, we’ve lost no matter who wins. There are people who believe the media is more dishonest, and there are people who believe Trump is more dishonest. They’re both dishonest. And as long as we have a dishonest institution as the resistance against another dishonest institution, we might expect the divide between camps to keep getting bigger. Both sides have a reason to call out the other – no one can stand on a higher moral ground.
The only real answer is to refuse to vouch for either side if they are both dishonest. Instead, seek out new media alternatives which are not owned by the elite, but instead are funded by grassroots donations. There are plenty of outlets out there, such as Democracy Now, TYT Network and more, who are calling out both the mainstream media AND Donald Trump. Be a part of that choir, and stand on a side you can truly morally justify.
Maybe then, your call for truth and justice will be heard.
