Last Thursday, Donald Trump summoned the press to Mar-a-Lago for a press conference. It was carried by all the cable networks, without interruption, for an hour. The mics for the press were turned down so low that the questions couldn’t be heard, which, of course, made it easier for DT to say whatever he wanted without concern for the question. Follow-up questions were not in play.
Many of us watched it, or as much of it as we could without total outrage making us want to stick our heads in the oven.
Lawrence O’Donnell, who has a show on MSNBC, called out the networks, which is really where our anger should lie. Even if you watch only the first five or ten minutes of his explanation and outline of what happened and what should have happened, it is not to be missed. Click here to view.
He says we are in 2016 all over again, with journalists allowing him to dictate his message without accountability, not to be confused with the truth
He calls us all to action: turn off the television, go on social media, and express your outrage at the lack of oversight by the networks. Demand they stop allowing him access this way.
He reminds us that the networks can do real-time on-screen fact-checking—they have that capability— to put it on a side screen for viewers to see in real time -and while some of the networks did do some fact-checking in the following hour, most viewers were long gone.
And he also points out that Harris/Walz had a press conference right after DT, and they announced it the day before, and it was a major endorsement of the unions, and no one covered it. They went back to the Olympics. And when Harris did go to answer questions from the press, they talked over her and questioned her in a way DT is never questioned.
If ever there was a case to move past the major networks and cultivate your own press gaggle to follow and learn from, this is it. Here is our piece on how to start cultivating your own news posse.
But in addition, we, the people, can and will make the networks accountable for equal coverage in a fair and fact-checked manner. Please forward this to those who watch cable news.
Thanks for this commentary. Ready to speak up to the networks.