Countdown to Fake-ageddon? Is peaceful coexistence possible for Trump and the media?

One of President Trump’s most consistent targets throughout the election season was the media in general and fake news in particular. It was a big part of Trump’s schtick. Since his inauguration, he has continued his criticisms. Why would he stop doing what has worked so well for him? President Trump recently called fake news the “enemy of the people.” President Trump clearly believes that journalists who produce unfavorable coverage should be treated as enemies.

Trump’s dislike for the media is understandable. Many in the media clearly detest Trump and it’s obvious. Most of the media were way off in their polling and their prognostications about the election. They said, over, and over, and over that he didn’t stand a chance. More recently, the infamous dossier that was published by Buzzfeed hasn’t resulted in any big stories so far.

CNN and the New York Times were shut out of a recent press briefing with White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer. One wonders what will happen next. Will the practice of excluding critical media increase? Will media organizations try to be nicer in order to avoid being excluded? Will someone – perhaps Jimmy Carter – step up to help Trump and the media negotiate for a lasting peace?

Trump Declares War on Fake New: Producers of Fake News head for their bunkers.

Buzzfeed, the Decline of Journalism, and the Rise of Fake-alism

Once upon a time, journalism involved gathering as much information related to some current event as possible. Journalists interviewed people who had firsthand knowledge. Finding and connecting with those sources of information was usually tedious and time-consuming. In many cases, people who had information were not cooperative or forthcoming.

Good journalists also reviewed as much information related to a story as they could get their hands on. Sources of information could include court documents and related articles that had been written previously. Once a journalist had all the information together, he or she would boil it down to the essentials that consumers would need to comprehend what was going on.