Trump and the Media: The Implications of "Fake News"

Many of us are familiar with the tense relationship between former President Trump and the media. However, have you ever wondered what “fake news” means for the president’s relationship with the media?

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In the past, the media and the president had a collaborative relationship with news content. However, in contemporary years we have seen an increase in hostility between the media and the president as both sides try to control the narrative. Still, the media needs the president. The media is known to like conflict and drama, so contemporary presidents seek favorable coverage from the media rather than controversy. In contrast, former president Donald Trump generally decided against seeking positive coverage from the media.

Trump maintained a hostile relationship with the elite press during his campaign and throughout his presidency. He tended to offend the media and offer blunt criticism whenever given the chance. It seemed Trump was initiating a “no such thing as bad press” strategy. This meant that his media coverage was highly negative, but he was still being covered. Trump quickly became well-known across the country—even the world—because of this strategy.

During his presidency, Trump continued to strain his relationship with the media. He sought to ban mainstream left-leaning news outlets from White House press conferences while inviting right-wing news outlets. Furthermore, he threatened to propose legislation that would make it easier for political and public figures to sue news outlets for libel. Often, Trump attacked the media more than his political opponent: the Democrats.

One of the most associated phrases with Donald Trump is “fake news.” Trump used the term “fake news” to combat negative media coverage, opinion pieces, and false information portrayed in left-leaning media during his campaign and presidency. Furthermore, Trump would defend his attacks on the media by asserting that the press treated him unfairly. Fake news shows how the relationship between the president and the media has grown more aggressive in contemporary years.

Former president Trump became innovative because of his deeply negative relationship with the news media. Since he believed the media to be unfair spreaders of fake news, he began to bypass the elite media and use other measures to reach his audience: social media. Trump began to use Twitter, a social media platform, in a highly reactive and polarizing way. His use of social media was innovative because it gave him control of his narrative in media. Through social media, Trump created an image of himself as an authentic champion for the people.