Media's Trump hysteria is doing more harm than good

Source: Washington Examiner | January 27, 2017 | T. Becket Adams

The press’ distrust of the Trump administration has become so reactionary that a new rule of thumb could be instituted for audiences looking for accuracy: If two or more journalists seem to be flocking around a breaking news item alleging chilling behavior by the new president or his staff, wait at least 30 minutes for further context.

Chances are the additional information will belie the first blush hysteria.

Since the Nov. 8 election, major newsrooms have overhyped stories suggesting supposedly unprecedented conduct by the new administration, including imposing so-called “gag orders” on government scientists and deleting several pages from the White House website.

Though these “scoops” sound jaw-dropping, they are often more sensationalism than fact and they fall apart the moment an ounce of scrutiny is applied. This is obviously bad for consumers who just want the news. It’s also bad for an industry whose credibility is already greatly diminished.

But this hasn’t stopped eager reporters and pundits from sharing the stories with attached musings of foreboding.

On Thursday, for example, the Washington Post grabbed everyone’s attention with a shocking headline that read, “The State Department’s entire senior administrative team just resigned.”

….

As it turns out, four mid-tier State officials were told recently by the new administration that their services were no longer needed. In response, the officials tendered their resignations, which is customary in these situations.

Nothing about this story is out of the ordinary, according to the American Foreign Service Association.

….

Reporters obviously need to be more careful and even-handed in their presentation of Trump-related stories. If journalists keep overhyping every new thing involving the White House, readers who aren’t already anti-Trump will eventually tune out the headlines entirely, greatly reducing the Fourth Estate’s ability to hold the powerful to account.

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