OTM 2

This week I listened to On the Media's "When the Press sues over fake news." I feel as if even before President Donald Trump took office, people were skeptical of the media, since every outlet contains its own agenda. That being said, people are throwing the F-word around as if all media outlets are promoting this idea of "fake" news.
After listening, I think this talk pinpoints the genuine fear that journalists, news reporters, radio show hosts and even regular, every day people are thinking about. Of course those in the media field are terrified because their careers are constantly put in jeopardy. Without faithful readers or viewers, there is no news network or newspaper. With that in mind, trying to claim that any reputable media outlet promotes "fake" news can be incredibly damaging. Jay Seaton, the Daily Sentinel publisher, said the newspaper he works for has suffered subscription losses after a senator deemed the paper "fake" news.
Although President Trump has his reasons for denying certain media outlets as credible (which became especially prevalent after BuzzFeed released the dossier and CNN briefly mentioned its existence) these hasty generalizations are affecting everyone's judgment.
Holding such a high position in the United States, President Trump's beliefs and statements will automatically influence his supporters. I am not saying all Trump supporters believe everything he says without questioning him. Of course, there are some individuals who do, but that is another issue entirely. However, those who question authority, even if they support individuals like Trump, still suffer from their own presumptions.
This is most famously represented by those who agree with Trump's famous tweet, "The fake news media is not my enemy, it is the enemy of the American people!" The major issue with this argument is that it places all of the focus on the media to diverge attention away from what is actually going on in the world. Rather than address what is newsworthy, these media outlets have to stress the importance of credibility or threaten to start suing those who defame the company.