The past year has shown the strengths and weaknesses of the media regarding their coverage of the 2016 presidential candidates. The attention given the candidates ranges from the outlandish to the absurd.
When it comes to Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton, the press’ coverage is all the above and more.
The press has been after Hillary and her email account controversy since day one. They don’t focus on the myriad other issues at hand that Clinton has brought to the podium, no, instead they focus on her personal foibles that has been proven to be less than stellar regarding corruption and disclosure that the country is up against. It’s apparent the press hates Hillary for one reason or another. They side stepped the important issues but still focused on Clinton more as a Democratic front runner than her opponent Bernie Sanders who has garnered record breaking crowds and funding.
Sanders on the other hand addresses issues the other candidates fear to tread. Even when the public shows up in droves to a Sanders’ rally, the press just makes a note, but let Clinton utter any word and they’re all over her, not discussing her topics, but bending the public’s attention toward her email debacle.
With Trump, he’s the press’ dream come true and worst night mare. He knows how to get the headlines, not through any utterance of profound wisdom but through outright absurd blustering and rhetoric. He insults people no end, mocks reporters themselves, laughs in the face of the important issues of the day and still manages to get more television and web time than anyone else. It’s because Trump sells papers and boosts website hits. He’s a money generating media monster and he knows it. He’s got no Republican platform to stand on as the Republicans have proven themselves to be nothing more than flunkies, minions, to the big bankers and Wall Street. They’re only interested in economic control and that means controlling people with invasive laws and tactics that are underhanded to say the least.
With the roster of candidates dwindling down to something more palatable, the press will be hard put to now focus on the issues they represent and not their human frailties.
Trump hopes to keep the high ground but his antics are growing tired. He’ll have to grow up and face the music one day or another and stop spouting platitudes. He’s so far only managed to gain support by mimicking the frustration of the middle class white population regarding taxes but he’s nowhere near the truth about the issue and the press is just as guilty in misinforming the public.
Cruz and Rubio and Carson are not going to fare well against Sanders. He’ll tear them apart with facts, figures, and basic logic. The press will have to confront this and that’s where the chaff will be separated from the wheat. If Trump survives he’ll do so only because he’s a celebrity, not a politician.
So all in all, the press has a job to do. One of greater responsibility and this just might propel the press into the spotlight where they’ll be more accountable and less comical.
Do you think the press has been too favorable or harsh regarding the 2016 presidential candidates? Post your comments below.
