Another Day, Another Media Meltdown [Warden]

The response to yesterday's dressing down of the legacy media by President-elect Trump? Impotent, toddler-fists-of-fury, rage-tantrums. (No courtesy link for the ponces at the New Yorker.)

The over-all impression of the meeting from the attendees I spoke with was that Trump showed no signs of having been sobered or changed by his elevation to the country's highest office. Rather, said one, "He is the same kind of blustering, bluffing blowhard as he was during the campaign."

Another participant at the meeting said that Trump's behavior was "totally inappropriate" and "fucking outrageous." The television people thought that they were being summoned to ask questions; Trump has not held a press conference since late July. Instead, they were subjected to a stream of insults and complaint--and not everyone absorbed it with pleasure.

"I have to tell you, I am emotionally fucking pissed," another participant the coverage was all about [Trump's] flaws and problems. And that's legit. said. "How can this not influence coverage? I am being totally honest with you. Toward the end of the campaign, it got to a point where I thought that. But, I thought, O.K., let's give them the benefit of the doubt. After the meeting today, though--and I am being human with you here--I think, Fuck him! I know I am being emotional about it. And I know I will get over it in a couple of days after Thanksgiving. But I really am offended. This was unprecedented. Outrageous!"

He's not even in office yet and every day brings a new delight. It's like Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Easter and Independence Day all rolled up into a delicious tortilla made of freedom and laughter and smothered in hot, spicy schadenfreude.

Meanwhile, Donald Trump releases his 100 day plan... on YouTube.

.@transition2017 update and policy plans for the first 100 days. pic.twitter.com/HTgPXfPWeJ

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 21, 2016

No press conference. No press release. Message to media: I don't need you.

The legacy media is still in denial about this election and even more so their newly diminished role in shaping opinion and influencing decision-making. They expect Trump to mend fences and kiss up to them in hopes of securing some semblance of fair coverage. And why wouldn't they? It's what Republicans have always done, despite the media's intensely dishonest partisanship.

No longer. The Trump presidency spells the end of days when legacy media could maliciously trash conservatives and Republicans with impunity. Trump is neither psychologically inclined to play nicely with the media, nor does he have any strategic reason to do so. Bashing them relentlessly while ignoring their petulant demands won him the White House. Why would he do anything differently going forward?

The howling, teeth-gnashing horde of media partisans will attempt to cast Trump's push-back against their fraudulent coverage as a danger to a free and open democracy (republic). But they won't get away with it. Because people have figured out that having no professional media, while not optimal, is still better than living under one that consistently bullies and smears one side while burying anything that might undermine the ideology it favors.

posted by Open Blogger at 07:20 PM

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