Former President Bill Clinton remained at odds with the press throughout his
time in office. Media outlets badgered him relentlessly with Arkansas-related
claims from when he was governor, all the way to the stupendous Lewinsky
scandal overriding any great achievement that took place during his time in
power.
The brawl with the fourth estate continued as Barack Obama assumed office,
with endless reports and pestering claims put forth by adversaries doubting
the authenticity of his birth certificate, accusing him of being born
overseas—others have gone as far as promoting the idea that he was a covert
Muslim, ceaselessly pursuing that headline for years.
President-elect Donald J. Trump now is but getting a spoonful of what his
predecessors tasted, as rumors of suspicious ties shared between him and
Russians flood the media. There is no end in sight for the press-propagated
stories working the public.
Trump's chief issue with the press is that he unreservedly expresses himself,
making him an easy target for broadsheet criticism. His approach is chiefly
based on his belief that being strict with is directly proportional to toning
down press aggressiveness. Nevertheless, Trump's method proved
counterproductive.
The President-elect's key staff at the campaign and top advisors continue with
their attempts to convince him to avoid and ignore press setups and
provocative attempts. It seems that Trump has not practiced the art of
perfecting control over personal temperament to a tee.
That is the harsh reality of journalism today. As for the accusations woven
against Trump, they are by no means more rational than those claiming that
Obama forged his own birth certificate. With the U.S. top-notch investigatory
and probing capacities, it is near impossible for such a counterfeit go
undetected.
The same goes for claims on Trump sharing wary ties with Russia, and the
presence of compromising material augmenting chances of blackmail. It all
seems to be ridiculous fibs authored to embarrass Trump before his supporters.
It is ludicrous to believe that a candidate can enter the presidential race
whilst being engaged in activities or obligations that oppose the best
interests of the post he/she are signing up for. It is even more preposterous
to assume that they can carry forward with the race without any official probe
exposing them.
Not to mention that the ''president,'' the highest decision-making link in the
chain of authority, does not enjoy unlimited power. In cases of disagreement,
the legislative authority has the power to influence and constrain
presidential policy.
Trump, no more than any former president, awaits difficult years filled with
challenges presented by the media, civil rights activists, women rights
advocates, environmentalists …
There is a substantial slice of U.S. citizens that oppose Trump's policy on
social matters, and have the abilities and means to hold widespread enduring
campaigns.
Anti-Trump media is not a naturally occurring incidence—CNN's all-out campaign
against the president-elect aided in spreading rumors, whether it be on social
media, news websites or trickling down to anarchic campaigning.
Fallacious news flooding the media today is a matter of top importance, which
will later on be discussed- especially that Facebook announced its desire to
rearrange the current mass communication arena.
Al Rashed is the general manager of Al -Arabiya television. He is also the
former editor-in-chief of Asharq Al- Awsat, and the leading Arabic weekly
magazine, Al Majalla. He is also a senior Columnist in the daily newspapers of
Al Madina and Al Bilad. He is a US post-graduate degree in mass
communications. He has been a guest on many TV current affairs programs. He is
currently based in Dubai.
Add Comments