byMike Smith Sarah Huckabee Sanders, Trump’s deputy press secretary, said at a recent White House press briefing, “We have gone to a place where, if the media can’t be trusted to report the news, then that is a dangerous place for America.”
Sanders is right. We are seemingly headed towards a dangerous place for America. But what Sanders fails to point out is that her boss, President Trump, is a significant player in determining the direction we are headed.
Trump wants the media to report on stories that don’t offend or challenge him; and when a reporter or the news organization doesn’t comply, his immediate political instinct is to try to delegitimize the source.
What Trump ultimately wants is a press that reports information that he deems important and in a manner he believes appropriate.
This isn’t independent reporting; it’s propaganda. Crafters of the First Amendment didn’t want speech to be controlled by politicians or government. They believed that curtailing free speech would be dangerous and restrict individual liberties. And they were right!
But the press bears responsibility as well. In the 20th century, newspapers and broadcasters eschewed “yellow journalism” and embraced objectivity and a commitment to fair news coverage.
Nowadays, increasing numbers of media outlets embrace bias and use it to attract more viewers or readers who agree with their interpretation of the news. In some cases, their goal is to delegitimize the president.
Nearly three-quarters of Americans have lost confidence in news organizations to report the news fully, accurately and fairly.
This is a dangerous trend. When most Americans no longer trust news organizations, government and politicians can control information without any accountability.
The lack of trust in the media is just one component of a much larger problem that should cause alarm.
An erosion of public confidence in the pillars of our democracy could place our entire political system in jeopardy.
America is built on democratic principles that require the faith and confidence of its citizens for our republic to thrive — unlike a dictatorship, where fear and intimidation of citizens is used to maintain control.
Americans are losing trust not only in the press but also in our politicians, in our political system, in our governmental institutions and even in the fairness of our election process — each of which are crucial underpinnings that support our form of democracy.
Perhaps the Russian government realizes that sewing doubt in the American political system is an easiery way to damage to this country than trying to defeat us militarily.
But as much as we wish to blame the Russians for our political predicaments, most of the damage is self-inflicted.
We seem to have no rhetorical boundaries in our quest to win political debates.
Governmental institutions, even the judicial system, are routinely accused of betraying the American public when courts don’t support a particular side. Trump and Sen. Bernie Sanders have declared that our election process is rigged. Political opponents are often demonized.
This kind of rhetoric may score wins in a political debate, perhaps even save face in defeat, but they also can delegitimize a political system.
And yet, in spite of this kind of rhetoric, we somehow expect the American public to retain faith in our political system. It’s fanciful thinking on the part of many — especially our political leadership — to expect that a barrage of such rhetoric will not have a fracturing affect on our country.
Throughout this country’s history we have endured vigorous, sometimes even vicious and divisive debate, but in today’s world we have amped up the rhetoric to unprecedented and, perhaps, dangerous levels, assisted by technology and social media embraced by our political leadership and some media.
Maybe it’s time for all of us — including political leaders and the media — to think seriously about the ramifications of undercutting the respect and trust in our political system for sport, ratings or political gain.
Because right now we are headed in a dangerous direction, and if our system teeters and then collapses, what replaces it might be something we all regret.
Mike Smith is a regular columnist for VTDigger and Vermont Business Magazine the host of the radio program “Open Mike with Mike Smith” on WDEV 550 AM and 96.1, 96.5, 98.3 and 101.9 FM. He is also a political analyst for WCAX-TV and WVMT radio. He was the secretary of administration and secretary of human services under former Gov. Jim Douglas.The ongoing battle between President Donald Trump and the national media has turned even nastier.