Donald Trump and the Media That Doesn’t Learn

February 25, 2017 T. Arthur Mason National

I seldom write anymore about national issues. There’s plenty at the state and local level to worry about without investing too much time into national issues I have almost no influence or say over. But the issue of Donald Trump and the media is fascinating to me. You’d think the media would learn from their mistakes of the past, but it seems the longer that Donald Trump is president the more they intend on doing what hasn’t worked so far… bashing him.

Anybody that has followed The Minuteman for a while knows that I was not a Trump fan. At least not politically. I used to watch the Apprentice. I always admired what appeared to be his shrewd business prowess, but he just didn’t convince me politically that he was the right man to be President of the United States.

Having said all that, I learned one thing through the Republican Primary process… do not underestimate Donald Trump. And beyond that, the more people seemed to criticize him the more strength he seemed to gain. By the time the general election rolled around, I had learned my lesson. Nearly all the pundits were saying that Hillary Clinton was a shoe-in and that Trump had no chance. I remember making my election night predictions. No way was I picking against Trump.

But the media just hasn’t learned their lesson. Even as someone that was not a Trump fan, I could see the obvious media bias against him. Hillary Clinton – a criminal without the conviction – regularly got a pass from the media and was even praised by them, while Donald Trump was demonized.

The Washington Times published an excellent article last November detailing ten examples of media bias, including the Democratic National Committee (DNC) colluding with CNN against Trump. Is it any wonder why Trump seems to have more disdain for them than any other media outlet?

I Googled "Donald Trump" today and nearly every news article on the President had a negative connotation. Perhaps that’s no surprise since Trump Tweeted today that he will not be attending the annual White House Correspondents’ Dinner. An event that brings together journalists that cover the White House and the President.

This was insult to injury after White House Press Secretary, Sean Spicer, announced Friday that CNN, The New York Times, Buzzfeed, Politico and the Los Angeles Times would not be permitted to attend a news briefing.

I’m not making excuses for any missteps or failures of Donald Trump. He’s certainly not perfect. But if the media wanted to be viewed as credible in the eyes of the Trump administration and the public, then perhaps they should have been fair in their reporting. If their relationship with the White House and the public is to be improved, then they should start today to actually do their jobs without bias.

Perhaps it’s best summed up by the aforementioned Washington Times article when they said:


"The mainstream media is going to need to go through a serious readjustment period after this presidential election. The collusion between reporters and the Clinton campaign, revealed by WikiLeaks, have laid bare to the American public the left-leaning bias of the press."

If the media continues to choose otherwise, they do so at their own peril. At this rate, having learned nothing from the Donald Trump phenomenon, they may just be laying the groundwork already for his second term.

Sources:
1. http://www.cnn.com/2017/02/24/opinions/reporters-excluded-louis/
2. http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/nov/8/mainstream-media-maligned-10-examples-blatant-bias/
3.http://www.masslive.com/politics/index.ssf/2017/02/president_donald_trump_will_no.html

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About T. Arthur Mason 883 Articles
T. Arthur Mason is a native North Dakotan who has spent nearly all of his life in the Peace Garden State. As the third of four children in Western North Dakota, Mason grew to appreciate family and the outdoors. Some of his fondest memories are annual deer hunts with family and friends. In his early teenage years, faith became a central part of T. Arthur Mason's life. He and the majority of his family attend church together on a weekly basis and find this a fulfilling aspect of their lives. Through the influence of his father, T. Arthur Mason became intrigued with politics. As a boy, he attended political events with his father and enjoyed the friendships that resulted as a byproduct of those political associations. As Mason grew older, he became convinced that the quote often attributed to Thomas Jefferson was true, "That government is best which governs least." Today, T. Arthur Mason enjoys time with his wife and children, an occasional hunt, and an increasingly active life on the political scene. This blog is the fulfillment of a dream to design a web site in the realm of politics and to advocate for the principles of Liberty and constitutionally limited government. On behalf of all those that contribute to The Minuteman, we hope you enjoy your time on the site and will share the message with others.

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