After the third and final presidential debate, mainstream web and print headlines covered how Senator Hillary Clinton’s debate is historic and epic, while Mr. Donald Trump apparently ‘destroyed himself’ and ‘insulted American democracy’. Ever since Trump has been elected as the nominee of the Republican Party, the media has increased attacks against him, operating as Clinton’s mouthpiece. Their bias is clear, transparent and they are not even trying to deny it.
The Quinnipiac University poll found that 55 percent of voters felt that Mr Trump was right when he charged the media of this claim, which included 20 % Democrats. Bernie Sanders, Ben Carson, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio too had all accused the media of biased coverage during party nominations.
These claims are not baseless, as revealed by the leaked DNC emails published by WikiLeakes. The mails revealed that Politico’s Kenneth Vogel sent an advanced copy of his story to DNC national press for “approval”. Journalism to the commoners was a weapon against the powerful but here, the battle cry that is being heard is against the media and by a powerful man, when did the tables flip?
According to Harvard’s Shorenstein, “From the time he started his candidacy until the start of the conventions, Trump has not experienced anywhere near the press criticism directed at him during the final two weeks of the convention period”. The coverage, the study notes was “two to one favourable”. Had the media finally awakened to the negatives of Trump’s presidency that they ignored before?
Journalist Glenn Greenwald told Slate that “the U.S. media is essentially 100 percent united, vehemently, against Trump, and preventing him from being elected president”. Journalists approach towards Trump’s presidency is not only countering their whole movement that they think will lead to his defeat but also distancing undecided voters from the voting. The media’s rosy eyed view of Clinton’s stance on certain issues like Syria and failure to press her on the issue of NSA surveillance amongst others will go against the average citizens who rely on mainstream media for information and America which we hope, does not end up electing the unfavourable to power.
–Adarsh Yadav
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