The bastardization of the news is taking a toll on the United States.  Donald Trump has a 40% approval ratting towards the end of the second year of his presidency, according to Gallup.  During this same week of presidency for President Obama (December 13-19 2010) he had a 46% approval ratting.

How has President Trump only been able to receive a 40% approval ratting? Even with the stock market having no gains this year, it is still up over 25% during his presidency, he has strengthened our relationship with Israel,  renegotiated NAFTA, strengthened our military, and according to NPR he has been the toughest president on Russia since the Cold War.  On top of all of that he stared down China on trade and according to Bloomberg China has agreed to “cut duties on US imports.”

 One of the main reasons for his low approval ratting may be due to the media coverage of his presidency.  According to a study from the Harvard Kennedy Shorenstein Center, the media coverage of President Trump’s first 100 days was 80% negative, with CNN and NBC being the most negative about his presidency reporting 93% negative.  CBS, the New York Times, and the Washington Post all have over 80% negative coverage.  According to the study during the same amount of time Obama’s coverage was 60% positive. 

This is a big problem for the fabric of America as we know it. We no longer have “news” stations or outlets.  We have opinion stations and outlets.  There use to be a strong barrier and divide between news and opinion.  Now, broadcasters are editorializing  within straight news reports by presenting opinion as fact. 

An example of this bastardizing of the news occurred on May 14th 2016.  The New York Times published an article on their front page titled “Crossing the Line: How Donald Trump Behaved with Woman in Private” in which they interviewed one of Donald Trumps ex girlfriends.  In the article the present their own commentary as if it is a fact.  The article read “This is the public treatment of some women by Mr. Trump…. degrading, impersonal, performed.”  None of what the article says is true according to the interviewee.  She publicly called out the NYT saying that she had a very pleasant relationship with Donald and that the Times were intentionally misleading.  The main source of the front page news completely discredited the story.  Even though it was completely discredited the NYT never retracted the story or apologized for it.

This is just one example in the long list of journalistic malpractices that we have seen in recent years.  No matter what side of the isle you are on, seeing this kind of thing should appall you.  This is just another reason why you need to do your own research and get news from both sides so you can distinguish what is fact and what is not.  It is up to you to be the most informed American citizen you can.