Distractions

   One way to manipulate the media message is to offer something flashy to distract reporters from an important story that needs a little digging to get at.
   Vladimir Putin was quoted as saying Donald Trump is "brilliant," and the President-elect adopted that term as a compliment. But language experts have noted that the Russian word Putin used can also be translated as "flashy."
   And that, fellow editors, has an entirely different connotation.
   Meanwhile, Trump is scheduled to hold his first full and open press conference on Wednesday, the first in months. But whether that actually happens remains to be seen. And whether he answers questions from the reporters gathered for the event is an open issue. It's also likely that if the press conference actually does take place, he will use it to distract attention from other hard news stories, such as the controversy over his Cabinet nominees.
   And if past performance is any guide, Trump will postpone an answer to a specific question to some future time. Or have his staff filter the questions beforehand.
   Good luck trying that.
   Or he might refuse to accept questions from certain reporters. Or he will criticize and even eject a reporter who asks a tough question that he can't or won't answer.
   Or he may delay the long-awaited open press conference yet again.
   Or all of the above.
   Why? Because he can't control a free press in America. He has tried, by not holding a full and open press conference. In addition he has tried by making extensive use of his Twitter account, which enables him to distribute his comments without challenge.
   Past behavior is a good indicator of future performance. By limiting contact with reporters and bypassing them through social media, he has shown a pattern of attempting to fully control the information flow.
   At worst, this portends an attempt to control the American press.