Democracy depends on a free and independent press, which is why all tyrants try to squelch it. They use seven techniques that, worryingly, President-elect Donald Trump already employs.
1. Berate the media. Earlier this month, Trump summoned two-dozen TV news anchors and executives to the Trump Tower to berate them for their reporting about him during the election. For 20 minutes he railed at what he called their “outrageous” and “dishonest” coverage. According to an attendee, “Trump kept saying, ‘we’re in a room of liars, the deceitful dishonest media who got it all wrong,’” and he called CNN a “network of liars.” He accused NBC of using unflattering pictures of him, demanding to know why they didn’t use “nicer” pictures.
Another person who attended the meeting said Trump “truly doesn’t seem to understand the First Amendment. He thinks we are supposed to say what he says and that’s it.”
OPINION
2. Blacklist critical media. During the campaign, Trump blacklisted news outlets whose coverage he didn’t approve of. In June he pulled The Washington Post’s credentials. “Based on the incredibly inaccurate coverage and reporting of the record setting Trump campaign, we are hereby revoking the press credentials of the phony and dishonest Washington Post,” read a post on Trump’s Facebook page.
After the election, Trump agreed to meet with the New York Times and then suddenly cancelled the meeting when he didn’t like the terms, tweeting “Perhaps a new meeting will be set up with the @nytimes. In the meantime they continue to cover me inaccurately and with a nasty tone!” (He then reversed himself again and met with the Times.)
3. Turn the public against the media. Trump refers to journalists as “lying,” “dishonest,” “disgusting” and “scum.” Referring to the journalists at his rallies, Trump said, “I hate some of these people,” adding (presumably in response to allegations of Vladimir Putin’s treatment of dissident journalists) “but I’d never kill ‘em.”
He questions the press’s motives, claiming, for example, that The Washington Post wrote negative things about him because its publisher, Jeffrey Bezos, a founder of Amazon, “thinks I would go after him for antitrust.” When the New York Times wrote that his transition team was in disarray, Trump tweeted that the newspaper was “just upset that they looked like fools in their coverage of me” during the presidential campaign.
4. Condemn satirical or critical comments. Trump continues to condemn the coverage he’s received from NBC’s “Saturday Night Live.” In response to Alex Baldwin’s recent portrayal of him as overwhelmed by the prospect of being president, Trump tweeted that it was a “totally one-sided, biased show – nothing funny at all. Equal time for us?”
When Brandon Victor Dixon, the actor who plays Aaron Burr in the Broadway musical “Hamilton,” read from the stage a message to Vice President-elect Mike Pence, who was in the audience – expressing fears about the pending Trump administration for the “diverse group of men and women of different colors, creeds and orientations” on the cast – Trump responded angrily. He tweeted that Pence had been “harassed,” and insisted that the cast and producers of the show, “which I hear is highly overrated,” apologize.
5. Threaten the media directly. Trump said he plans to change libel laws in the United States so that he can have an easier time suing news organizations. “One of the things I’m going to do if I win … I’m going to open up our libel laws so when they write purposely negative and horrible and false articles, we can sue them and win lots of money.”
During the campaign, Trump specifically threatened to sue the Times for libel in response to an article that featured two women accusing him of touching them inappropriately years ago. Trump claimed the allegations were false, and his lawyer demanded that the newspaper retract the story and issue an apology. Trump also threatened legal action after the Times published and wrote about part of his 1995 tax return.
6. Limit media access. Trump hasn’t had a news conference since July. He has blocked the media from traveling with him, or even knowing whom he’s meeting with. His phone call with Vladimir Putin, which occurred shortly after the election, was first reported by the Kremlin.
This is highly unusual. In 2000, President-elect George W. Bush called a press conference three days after the Supreme Court determined the outcome of the election. In 2008, President-elect Obama also meet with the press three days after being elected.
7. Bypass the media and communicate with the public directly. The American public learns what Trump thinks through his tweets. Shortly after the election, Trump released a video message outlining some of the executive actions he plans to take on his first day in office.
Aids say Trump has also expressed interest in continuing to hold the large rallies that became a staple of his candidacy. They say he likes the instant gratification and adulation that the cheering crowds provide.
The word “media” comes from “intermediate” between newsmakers and the public. Responsible media hold the powerful accountable by asking them hard questions and reporting on what they do. Apparently Trump wants to eliminate such intermediaries.
Historically, these seven techniques have been used by demagogues to erode the freedom and independence of the press. Even before he’s sworn in, Trump seems intent on doing exactly this.
Robert B. Reich was Secretary of Labor under President Bill Clinton.
Some
of these seven ways in which Trump attempts to control the media are overtly
threatening such as to constantly call them ill-intended liars, or to threaten
the media directly and perhaps more importantly- limit access of the Media to
what you are doing as President. There
are rumors Trump will not hold daily White House press briefing, which have
been held since at least the days of Kennedy.
Shawn Hannity is an out and out liar, when he’s not grotesquely
distorting and mis-interpreting facts.
Shawn claimed for example that Hillary and the democrats are “speer-heading
the drive to overturn the results of the election. This is untrue. Main stream democrats were quite prepared to
accept the results of this skewed election until these computer statisticians
came up on a non partisan basis the fact that probabilities were statistically
high that funny business was going on in these three key states of Wisconsin,
Pennsylvania, and Michigan. They are
starting with a recount in Wisconsin and no news has developed in this area in
the past few days. People think it’s
strange that democrats have won the past six out of seven electoral contests
and yet Republicans control congress, governorship and legislative state
houses. The whole system is biased
against the democrats in ways I have gone into in the past. California does not have the weight in the Electoral
College per vote as a state like Wyoming has, for example. If Donald Trump has lost on election eve- - -
Trump would have never shut up about the system being rigged and indeed he
STILL says the system is rigged because of 1.8 million dead people voting or
something. Either that or it’s illegal
aliens voting or something, which is nonsense.
Certainly these seven ways of
media pressure and control alludes to possible creeping Fascism. This is the biggest thing people are afraid
of. Trump’s cabinet appointments have
all been hard right, or maybe that’s “Hard Reich”. Any hopes for a softening or consiliation
being a minority elected president are now out the window. I hope Judy is happy. When I next talk to her I’m going to indicate
my broad discontent-ment with the cabinet appointments so far. The Democrats are so desperate for ANY decent
appointment they can at least live with- - - that yesterday Bill Press was
saying that he hopes Mitt Romney gets in as Secretary of State. It’s a better pick than either David Petrayus
or Rudolph Giuliani. I imagine we’ll hear about Secretaries of
State and Defense before the week is out.
Meanwhile all the democrats have to look forward to are the 2018
congressional elections- - and that’s a slim hope indeed.
This
is Wednesday November 30, 2016 and the 49th anniversary of the
release of Magical Mystery Tour, on a Thursday.
This morning I woke up early and it was cold and I tried to get warm but
as the book of Kings says, “I gat no heat”. [I decided I might as well get up.] So I decided to take a longer hot shower than usual to get good and
warmed up. Ron gave me a cigarette as I
was headed back in the building from an unsuccessful outing. Then while I was smoking it he gave me most
of another he had just lit. I decided to
save that one for an hour or so later.
Free Speech TV still has their slightly altered screen format with all
of the symbols that disappear except for the numbered human figure. Also the “Live” indicator at the end ot the
DVR timeline isn’t there now. I went
down after six to wait in the med line but then someone pooped in the elevator
and April nominated herself to clean it up.
I went back up stairs and then Denise returned the laundry. I started putting everything away still warm
from the dryer. Everything was
there. You people wondering about that
8 CD massive album of Dylan, Doors, and Stones will be interested to know I’ve
consulted with the Powers that Be and no changes will be made. That’s the way it came out in January 2012
and that’s the way it is staying. Rene
came by to change Bill’s bed. [It's a skin condition thing.] He asked
whether it was a computer or a TV. I
said computer. After I left with the
picture frozen Rene obviously clicked the arrow because the thing was going
when I came back an hour later. We had
oatmeal for breakfast, which was thankfully thick and hot. Later we got our toast, butter and jelly, and
eggs- - from Patty, who was helping out again.
I got a full cup of black coffee from Josie and after I had drunk that I
successfully went to the kitchen to pour myself another full cup from the
pot. Just a minute or so ago Bill gave
me three brown cigarettes I’ll be sure and smoke wisely. I haven’t posted a blog since Saturday. I think all the lack of heat in here has
frozen my brain. The sun in the window
is already heating things up in here.
Bill said Augustine would get to the heat later.
Last
night I was cold. Cigarettes were pretty
impossible to come by. But I finally got
a whole brown one from Larry at the other end.
After that I dozed off just a little watching TV. I took inventory of the laundry and made out
a list on a fresh slip of paper. It was
ABC network news, Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune. I got my medication from Sarah in a faster
moving line this night. [NCIS wasn't on so I twired the dial and finally settled on "The Flash".] I went to bed about five to nine
or something since it was so cold and I had no coffee. I haven’t had any dreams the past few
nights. Stephanie is talking about “The
seven things Trump uses to control the media”, which is the plural of
medium. Did you know “fora” is the
plural of “forum”? The word got
red-lined by Word. People apparently “tire” of success, like
having the best economy we’ve had since early 2008. It seems people wanted “change”. I don’t know where people ever got the notion
that even a bad “change” was still a good thing.
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