As an aspiring journalist, Trump’s attack of the media, as a valid source of news, is not only insulting but is also a cause for great concern for journalism and specifically, journalists who see themselves as the bridge that connects the truth to the people.
The era of Trump has already been litigated with accounts of a raging”war” against the media. Within days after his inauguration, President Trump and his administration, have blamed the media for bias and dishonesty stating that journalists are “among the most dishonest human beings on earth.”
“Alternative facts”, an Orwellian term, used by Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway during a Meet the Press interview, is a prime example of the mindset that has characterized the incoming Presidental Administration.
Many journalists became outraged by this defense and choice to promote such “Falsehoods” compared to actual, substantial, provable, facts. Journalist such as Dan Rather later commented on the whole concept and what it was implying.
“Facts and the truth is not partisan. They are the bedrock of our democracy. And you are either with them, with us, with our Constitution, our history, and the future of our nation, or you are against it. Everyone must answer that question.” -Dan Rather
Journalism is a symbol of the pursuit of the truth. Trumpism acts as an imminent and imposing threat to such journalistic pursuits. In a presidency such as Trump’s, there is the threat that outlets of truth and the media will be attacked and thoroughly subdued. When power is placed in the hands of people who defend their own claims to progress their own agenda and suppress those that contradict such claims through bullying or threats suggests an administration that is against the people rather than willing to work with them.
Trumpism acts as an imminent and imposing threat to such journalistic pursuits. In a presidency such as Trump’s, there is the threat that outlets of truth and the media will be attacked and thoroughly subdued. When power is placed in the hands of people who defend their own claims to progress their own agenda and suppress those that contradict such claims through bullying or threats suggests an administration that is against the people rather than willing to work with them.
This animosity between journalists and the Trump Administration has created this wall that’s preventing journalists from being able to properly receive well-sourced and substantial information or insight. Journalists today struggle to obtain valid facts from valid sources due to stipulations and obstacles set by the new administration. This regulation of who can be spoken to and how they should be written by the media is reminiscent of Orson Wells 1984 dystopia in which the truth is replaced and rewritten, to adhere to the ideals of the party. This concealment of the truth has become a characteristic of authoritarian governments that control the influx of information given to its citizens. It’s becoming a haunting depiction of a society that threatens to become a reality in this Trumpian Era.
This raging war of media and the press could force the submission of media to cater to those in power.This would undermine the integrity of journalism as a bearer of democracy and free speech. This relationship between the Presidential Administration and the media. This “War” of unrest and accusations against the media and its counterparts could have a more lasting and damaging effect than any physical battle. Theses lies and acts of deceit have made an ugly situation, worse. This lack of transparency and communication between journalists and the government has created this cycle of distrust and insecurity, that will not only continue but will get worse with far greater implications than name calling.
