4 ms·
2016 was an inflection point because we had a particular candidate that built a movement that weaponized disinformation and falsehoods. Legacy media continually
by ferdowsi 5y ago
2016 was an inflection point because we had a particular candidate that built a movement that weaponized disinformation and falsehoods. Legacy media continually boosted Trump's profile as a curiosity, and was hesitant to outright call these falsehoods what they were, attempting to stick to outmoded journalistic norms that worked for politicians who only perform relatively minor deceptions.
The reckoning was indeed severe, but it was deserved.
- Bhilai 5y agoNot sure why you were downvoted. What you said is absolutely true. Washington Post kept a lie tally for Trump and when he left office, the tally was close to 30K lies[1]. Also completely agree that the "both sides" coverage did not work as intended. [1]: https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/01/24/trumps-false-or-misleading-claims-total-30573-over-four-years/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/01/24/trumps-fa...
- throwaway894345 5y agoCan't speak for others, but I downvoted because the OP's explanation is absurd. Yes, Trump's absolutely a liar, but the absurdity lies in the claim that the media's "outmoded norms" (i.e., honesty, objectivity, neutrality, etc) inhibited it from calling out Trump's lies is ridiculous. Honesty doesn't inhibit an institution from pointing out one side's lies, on the contrary, honesty demands it. However, honesty also demands pointing out the other side's lies, and therein lies the rub.