The Press Cuts Off Trump As Consensus Grows To Stop Covering His Rallies

The press has had enough, and they are saying no more to the coverage of Donald Trump’s rallies, as a consensus is growing that the President’s ramblings in front of his followers aren’t newsworthy.

Video of Vox’s Ezra Klein and CNN’s Brian Stelter discussing this on Reliable Sources:

Klein said, “Yes, it is all shocking and childish and immature and petulant and cruel. John McCain is dying. But — but he’s been doing this for years. There’s nothing new here. There’s nothing new in him calling Elizabeth Warren Pocahontas, nothing new in him attacking John McCain, nothing new in him attacking the bushes. And yet whenever Donald Trump wants to change a subject, he sets up a rally and goes and says a bunch of crazy stuff. I wonder at this point what information is being of encoded in that.”

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The Vox editor-at-large said something later with which I strongly disagree. He said that Trump’s attacks on the #MeToo movement aren’t worth covering. To this point, I would suggest that he take a long look in the mirror and examine his male privilege. Would anyone in the media be making the same argument if Trump was making racist jokes about African-Americans? I don’t think so.

Klein’s entitled male media views aside, this is the same discussion that is happening in the minds of journalists and in newsrooms around the country. How much of Donald Trump’s sideshow is actually worthy of being covered as news? The conclusion that is reached more and more often is that it isn’t newsworthy. Because Trump doesn’t hold one on one press conferences, often these rallies, are the only place where he speaks publicly for an extended period.

Are Trump’s rallies worth covering?

There are so many things that this administration is doing that need to be given public attention that Trump’s rallies do feel like a waste of time and space. As the cable networks have done, PoliticusUSA monitor’s Trump’s events for newsworthiness, but we will not give a wide platform the President’s venting sessions that he disguises as rallies.

The media has caught on, as the Trump presidential reality show is getting canceled by everyone but Fox.

For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.

Jason Easley

Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.

Awards and  Professional Memberships

Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association