In an interview with Fox News Digital on Monday, President-elect Donald Trump stated, “With a view to make America nice once more, it is extremely essential, if not important, to have a free, honest and open media or press.”
Wow, a free, honest and open media or press.
That’s fairly the change from a person who has proven nothing however disdain for the media for the previous eight years. He has referred to as them the “enemy of the individuals” and “pretend information.” He made a touch upon the marketing campaign path about reporters being shot. He has threatened to punish varied information organizations at any time when he feels as if there was unfair protection. He even goes off on social media at any time when Fox Information, which has just about carried the Trump flag endlessly, dares to air one thing or interview a visitor he doesn’t like.
But right here he was Monday morning speaking a couple of free press the way in which leaders of democracies are supposed to speak.
Don’t get too excited.
His hopeful remarks got here with the type of caveat you’d anticipate from Trump. He stated he feels “an obligation to the American public, and to our nation itself, to be open and accessible to the press.”
And right here drops the opposite shoe: “If not handled pretty, nonetheless, that can finish. The media is essential to the long-term success of the US of America,” Trump stated.
So, in different phrases, Trump is a fan of a free and open press so long as he agrees with the protection. Which, in fact, actually isn’t a free and open press.
However he stated, “I’m not in search of retribution, grandstanding or to destroy individuals who handled me very unfairly, and even badly past comprehension. I’m at all times trying to give a second and even third likelihood, however by no means prepared to present a fourth likelihood — that’s the place I maintain the road.”
Once more, don’t get too excited. Preserving scorecards, which Trump will certainly alter in his head at any time when he will get offended sufficient, means he’ll search for retribution, revenge and no matter different phrases authoritarians use when coping with media protection that doesn’t align together with his personal imaginative and prescient.
It’s fascinating to notice that Trump met with two of his largest media critics: MSNBC “Morning Joe” co-hosts Mika Brzezinski and Joe Scarborough. The married couple apparently drove a half-hour from their Florida dwelling to Trump’s Mar-a-Lago property final Friday.
In a phrase: wow.
As The New York Times’ Michael M. Grynbaum explained, “Mr. Trump was as soon as an everyday visitor on their discuss present, ‘Morning Joe,’ and the couple rang in 2017 at a New 12 months’s Eve get together at his Mar-a-Lago property. Then issues deteriorated. Mr. Trump referred to as Mr. Scarborough a ‘psycho’ and Ms. Brzezinski ‘loopy,’ claiming that he had as soon as seen her ‘bleeding badly from a face-lift.’ ‘Morning Joe’ grew to become a redoubt of the anti-Trump resistance. This yr, the couple repeatedly warned {that a} second Trump presidency would threaten democracy’s future.”
Social media virtually exploded Monday morning when Brzezinski and Scarborough talked about assembly with Trump.
Brzezinski instructed viewers, “For these asking why we might go communicate to the president-elect throughout such fraught occasions, particularly between us, I suppose I might ask again, ‘Why wouldn’t we?’ Joe and I spotted it’s time to do one thing totally different, and that begins with not solely speaking about Donald Trump but in addition speaking with him.”
Scarborough stated, “We didn’t see eye-to-eye on a number of points, and we instructed him so.” Nonetheless, Brzezinski added, “What we did agree on was to restart communications.”
Followers of the present had been upset, and that’s one thing Scarborough addressed by saying, “Don’t be mistaken. We aren’t right here to defend or normalize Donald Trump. We’re right here to report on him and to hopefully present you insights (for) … understanding these deeply unsettling occasions.”
Trump instructed Fox Information Digital, “Many issues had been mentioned, and I very a lot appreciated the truth that they needed to have open communication. In some ways, it’s too dangerous that it wasn’t executed way back.”
Not a lot is understood concerning the particular subjects that got here up through the dialog, though Trump stated, “We talked about varied cupboard members — each introduced and to be introduced. As anticipated, they like some very a lot, however not all. The assembly resulted in a really optimistic method, and we agreed to talk sooner or later.”
Trump added, “I anticipate this can happen with others within the media, even these which have been extraordinarily hostile.”
Joe Scarborough, left, and Mika Brzezinski, proven right here in 2017. (Andy Kropa/Invision/AP)
The panel of ABC’s “The View” debated the “Morning Joe” co-hosts’ assembly with Trump.
Ana Navarro stated she would by no means sit down with Trump. She added, “I believe there’s lots of people who’re most likely taking a look at what Joe and Mika did and discover it opportunistic. There are individuals who change their stripes, or possibly their spots, I ought to say, right this moment, relying on who’s in energy and what advantages them. I don’t know that that’s what they’re doing, and to me, it’s a to-be-determined scenario, as a result of proper now, it’s the transition. We don’t know what he’s going to do as president. We don’t know what they’re going to do if he commits abuses of energy as president. So, you recognize, everyone has to reside with their resolution. All people has to have a look at themselves within the mirror. I’m good.”
In the meantime, others on the panel, in addition to many journalists, stated that when you’ve got an opportunity to satisfy with the president — or, on this case, the president-elect — you need to completely reap the benefits of it.
Alyssa Farah Griffin, who labored within the communications workplace throughout Trump’s first administration however backed Kamala Harris within the election, stated, “I don’t suppose that is opportunistic, however I believe they acknowledge that 75 million individuals voted for this man. He might be in energy, wanting one thing like an impeachment, for the subsequent 4 years.”
Mediaite’s Jennifer Bowers Bahney has more.
Finally, actions at all times communicate louder than phrases. So Trump can say no matter he desires about wanting a free and open press, and speak about its significance to a democracy and so forth.
However try his actions.
Trump has picked Brendan Carr to be the chairman of the Federal Communications Fee. Carr, who presently sits on the fee, was behind the FCC chapter of the controversial conservative Challenge 2025 planning doc.
The New York Times’ Cecilia Kang wrote, “Mr. Carr might drastically reshape the unbiased company, increasing its mandate and wielding it as a political weapon for the suitable, telecommunications attorneys and analysts stated. They predicted Mr. Carr would check the authorized limits of the company’s energy by pushing to supervise corporations like Meta and Google, organising a fierce battle with Silicon Valley.”
Final week on X, Carr tweeted, “The censorship cartel have to be dismantled.”
In a post on Monday, Carr wrote, “Broadcast media have had the privilege of utilizing a scarce and invaluable public useful resource — our airwaves. In flip, they’re required by regulation to function within the public curiosity. When the transition is full, the FCC will implement this public curiosity obligation.”
What the Carr and the Trump administration contemplate “public curiosity” and what actually is within the “public curiosity” probably are two very various things.
In a piece for Nieman Lab, Joshua Benton wrote, “Since Election Day, Carr has been making himself very seen backing Trump’s needs — falsely accusing NBC of violating equal time guidelines, saying the FCC ought to cease doing something ‘partisan’ till Trump’s inauguration, arguing the ‘censorship cartel have to be dismantled and destroyed’ (you recognize, fact-checkers — he actually doesn’t like NewsGuard), and backing Trump’s common statements that TV networks ought to lose their broadcast licenses for doing issues he doesn’t like. He’s additionally very tight with Elon Musk, final seen accompanying McNuggets at Trump’s proper hand.”
Karoline Leavitt, proven right here in Might of this yr. (AP Picture/Ted Shaffrey, File)
Late final week, Trump named Karoline Leavitt the subsequent White Home press secretary. At 27, Leavitt will change into the youngest White Home press secretary in historical past. She was Trump’s marketing campaign press secretary and has been serving as a spokesperson for his transition crew.
In a press release, Trump stated, “Karoline is sensible, robust, and has confirmed to be a extremely efficient communicator. I’ve the utmost confidence she’s going to excel on the podium, and assist ship our message to the American Folks as we Make America Nice Once more.”
And, once more, maintaining with the theme of this article, Trump’s actions communicate louder than his phrases.
The New York Times’ Michael Gold wrote, “All through the marketing campaign, Ms. Leavitt adopted Mr. Trump’s disdain for the mainstream media in frequent appearances on main tv networks and conservative retailers. Mr. Trump was happy together with her efficiency and regarded to her as a trusted voice to defend him on tv, in line with individuals who labored on the Trump marketing campaign.”
However Leavitt has a problem forward of her. Gold famous, “Mr. Trump cycled by way of 4 press secretaries throughout his first 4 years in workplace, and Ms. Leavitt must handle his expectations whereas additionally navigating the calls for of the White Home press corps. Her place will instantly make her a public determine in a manner that few different Trump officers might be.”
The Related Press introduced Monday that it’ll start providing buyouts and will have layoffs in an effort to scale back the workers by about 8%.
Associated Press media reporter David Bauder wrote, “The AP stated these eligible for buyouts had been to study of the supply, which would come with severance pay and partial well being protection for 18 months, by the top of Monday. These whose positions are as a result of be eradicated would study their fates over the subsequent few weeks. As soon as thought-about the world’s largest newsgathering group, the AP not makes that declare and doesn’t reveal the scale of its workers. In consequence, it was unimaginable to say on Monday how many individuals can be affected. The AP stated lower than half of the anticipated cuts would contain its information workers, with the majority taking place inside the US.”
The New York Times’ Benjamin Mullin reported, “In a observe to workers Monday, the AP Information Guild stated the cuts had been the results of income declines and would have an effect on the group’s international bureaus and administrative workers. The observe stated as many as 121 workers can be eligible for a buyout package deal, including that managers stated the buyouts aimed to keep away from layoffs.”
In a press release, The Related Press stated, “That is about making certain AP’s essential function as the one really unbiased information group at scale throughout a interval of transformation within the media trade.”
For this merchandise, I flip it over to my Poynter colleague, Angela Fu.
Greater than 20% of adults in the US repeatedly get their information from “information influencers,” in line with a Pew Research Center study launched Monday.
That share rises to 37% amongst adults underneath the age of 30. To compile the report, Pew researchers surveyed greater than 10,000 American adults and examined the accounts of 500 common information influencers, outlined as people who repeatedly put up about present occasions and civic points on social media and have greater than 100,000 followers.
Pew’s report comes at a time when some are questioning whether or not mainstream media has change into irrelevant. An rising variety of individuals are turning to social media for his or her information, and through the newest election cycle, each presidential candidates turned to alternate platforms, like podcasts, to achieve voters.
Among the many information influencers Pew analyzed, the overwhelming majority — 77% — didn’t have any affiliation or background with a information group. Researchers additionally discovered gender and political gaps. Sixty-three p.c of reports influencers are males, whereas 30% are ladies. And a better share of reports influencers explicitly establish as being right-leaning vs left-leaning (27% vs 21%).
These demographics shift, nonetheless, when inspecting information influencers on TikTok. On that platform, 50% of reports influencers are males, whereas 45% are ladies. Information influencers on TikTok are additionally extra prone to establish with the political left. Twenty-eight p.c establish as left-leaning, whereas 25% establish as right-leaning.
Practically two-thirds of people that get their information from information influencers say that the data they obtain has helped them higher perceive present occasions and civic points. Younger adults specifically discover the data they get from information influencers to be useful, with 72% of adults underneath the age of 30 reporting such content material useful.
Have suggestions or a tip? E mail Poynter senior media author Tom Jones at [email protected].
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