Presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump has never been one to keep his criticisms to himself. There is certainly no exception when it comes to Trump’s anger with media outlets and reporters. Throughout his campaign, Trump’s outlandish comments have made him one of the most talked about public figures in 2016, landing him on countless covers and headlines on a daily basis. This is only helping to fuel his fiery campaign and his personality, and the media has been of no assistance in derailing the Trump train.
Few major news outlets favor Trump, as is clearly evidenced by their coverage of him. But in an era with a 24-hour news cycle flooding the internet, television and print media, such harshness by the press is doing more harm than good. Though news outlets typically have slight political leanings, the amount of bias shown by the press is unprecedented and has no place in our news cycle, which is meant to be informative rather than critical.
At many of his numerous rallies and press conferences, Trump criticizes the media for their portrayal of him. On Tuesday morning, Trump was more vocal than ever about the issue. Trump called the press “dishonest” and “disgusting,” and said that “the press should be ashamed of themselves. I have never received such bad publicity for doing such a good job.” He used the media’s harassment to prove that he was donating money to veterans, with many reporters claiming he was using them as political pawns. Trump proceeded to report to the press all the donations he made, totaling several million dollars. The media also reported low attendance at Trump’s Memorial Day rally, though in reality there was a limit on the number of people permitted for entry.
Trump’s ridiculous and often offensive comments merit scrutiny, but the media should report these comments without layering on even more hate. Once he accepts the nomination in July, it is likely that Trump will have to tone down his campaign rhetoric. Sen. Mitch McConnell has called on Trump to be more “boring.” This will be a necessary step if Trump hopes to win in November, but even if he does soften his tone, I still believe the media will take every chance they’re given to take shots at the billionaire.
Kyle Campbell is a sophomore government and politics major. He can be reached at kcampbelldbk@gmail.com
