Major TV networks are rethinking the way they present political interviews after the fiasco that saw Donald Trump lie repeatedly despite the CNN moderator's corrections and attempts to stop him.
The program ran live before an audience of Trump supporters in New Hampshire. There were no opposing candidates for him to interrupt, but he did interrupt the moderator and ignored her admonition to stop telling lies, especially his claim that he really did win re-election, and that victory was stolen from him.
Fact check: He lost the popular vote, twice. He took the presidency the first time by manipulating the electoral count, even after losting the popular vote. The second time, he lost both, despite his attempts to manipulate the vote count. These futile efforts -- a dozen of them -- went all the way to the Supreme Court.
In earlier election appearances featuring Trump and opposing candidates, Trump repeatedly interrupted or upstaged his opponents either by talking over them or by walking behind them to distract viewer attention.
Example 1: Hillary Clinton, when he interrupted her answers to the moderator's questions or he walked around the stage behind her while she was talking.
Example 2: An exasperated Joe Biden finally said, "Will you shut up, man?" after repeated interruptions to Biden's comments.
As a result of Trump's domineering behavior, TV news units are likely to stop carrying his activities live. Instead, they will record his speeches, edit out excess or rambling comments, and add corrections to false or misleading claims.
That's called Journalism 101: Present both sides of an issue, including corrections to false or misleading allegations.
While it remains true that members of a live audience will hear only one side of an issue, since TV operations are not carrying his speech live, the wider broadcast audience will hear not only the essence of his claims, but also corrections from independent fact-checkers. In addition, news operations will be able to provide comments from opponents.
Trump has been able to dominate news outlets because they have not resisted his efforts to control their operations. A free press is not obligated to behave according to a politician's wants, needs or desires.
As for Trump's claim that as president he can take away licenses ...
1/ Print media don't have licenses, so there's nothing to take away.
2/ Local radio and TV stations do have licenses, but broadcast networks and cable television operations do not.
3/ Either way, the U.S. Constitution prohibits any attempt control the press.
As for interrupting the moderator and applying the term "stupid" to her or to her questions, it's time to remember the traditional guideline in the public relations industry:
Never pick a fight with someone who buys ink by the barrel.
A journalist's duty is to report accurately what a politician says or does, and not to take offense at any insult.
But there are ways. One of which is to report accurately, completely and repeatedly any and all insults he hurls at anyone, including the circumstances and the reactions from others who hear them.
Candidates often say they want journalists to report accurately what they say and do.
Be careful what you wish for.
The program ran live before an audience of Trump supporters in New Hampshire. There were no opposing candidates for him to interrupt, but he did interrupt the moderator and ignored her admonition to stop telling lies, especially his claim that he really did win re-election, and that victory was stolen from him.
Fact check: He lost the popular vote, twice. He took the presidency the first time by manipulating the electoral count, even after losting the popular vote. The second time, he lost both, despite his attempts to manipulate the vote count. These futile efforts -- a dozen of them -- went all the way to the Supreme Court.
In earlier election appearances featuring Trump and opposing candidates, Trump repeatedly interrupted or upstaged his opponents either by talking over them or by walking behind them to distract viewer attention.
Example 1: Hillary Clinton, when he interrupted her answers to the moderator's questions or he walked around the stage behind her while she was talking.
Example 2: An exasperated Joe Biden finally said, "Will you shut up, man?" after repeated interruptions to Biden's comments.
As a result of Trump's domineering behavior, TV news units are likely to stop carrying his activities live. Instead, they will record his speeches, edit out excess or rambling comments, and add corrections to false or misleading claims.
That's called Journalism 101: Present both sides of an issue, including corrections to false or misleading allegations.
While it remains true that members of a live audience will hear only one side of an issue, since TV operations are not carrying his speech live, the wider broadcast audience will hear not only the essence of his claims, but also corrections from independent fact-checkers. In addition, news operations will be able to provide comments from opponents.
Trump has been able to dominate news outlets because they have not resisted his efforts to control their operations. A free press is not obligated to behave according to a politician's wants, needs or desires.
As for Trump's claim that as president he can take away licenses ...
1/ Print media don't have licenses, so there's nothing to take away.
2/ Local radio and TV stations do have licenses, but broadcast networks and cable television operations do not.
3/ Either way, the U.S. Constitution prohibits any attempt control the press.
As for interrupting the moderator and applying the term "stupid" to her or to her questions, it's time to remember the traditional guideline in the public relations industry:
Never pick a fight with someone who buys ink by the barrel.
A journalist's duty is to report accurately what a politician says or does, and not to take offense at any insult.
But there are ways. One of which is to report accurately, completely and repeatedly any and all insults he hurls at anyone, including the circumstances and the reactions from others who hear them.
Candidates often say they want journalists to report accurately what they say and do.
Be careful what you wish for.
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