![](\"http:\/\/ebersolemedia.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/02\/mediaenemy.png\")
President Trump crossed a line and ruffled a lot of feathers the other day with a tweet that called “the FAKE NEWS media” … the “enemy of the American people.” Admittedly, President Trump and journalists are both suffering a crisis of credibility. According to a recent poll of registered voters, it is a statistical tie\u00a0when it comes to who\u00a0they trust\u00a0to tell the truth (45% to 42%, +\/- 3%).<\/p>\n
But as we consider who’s winning this war of attrition,\u00a0let’s be clear about two\u00a0thing;\u00a01) the press plays an important and essential role in our democratic process as a check and balance on power (see earlier blog posts here<\/a> and here<\/a>). And 2) Presidents throughout history have had adversarial relationships with the press. Nearly every US President has a quote (or two or three) that captures their frustration with\u00a0the folks whose job is to hold them accountable.<\/p>\n This should come as no\u00a0surprise. Any administration trying to advance its\u00a0agenda will be annoyed when journalists challenge their assumptions, ask difficult questions, and hold their feet to the fire. In response Presidents have deployed various tactics to take their message directly to the people…bypassing the traditional media whenever possible. FDR had his fireside chats, Trump has his Twitter account, and every president has used the bully pulpit, e.g., the State of the Union address, to speak directly to the American public. (Regarding\u00a0press conferences there’s even discussion about which news outlets are called on and whether the President is taking or not taking questions from certain media organizations based on their ideological leaning.)\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n On a related note, leaks of classified information about\u00a0the President and his staff \u00a0by members of the intelligence community (aka the “deep state”) have raised questions about anonymous sources and journalistic ethics. The NSA, CIA, FBI and the DHS have staff who appear to\u00a0be willing to share inside information with members of the press when\u00a0they uncover\u00a0either illegal or unethical behavior that could put the nation\u00a0at risk. The challenge for the press is to ensure that their inside sources are not selectively leaking information to further other, less noble, goals.<\/p>\n Back to the point of this post. Early on in his campaign President Trump decided to pick fights with the Washington establishment, with the intelligence community, and with the press. All three can do this administration great\u00a0harm if and when they decide to punch back. But it may be the press who\u00a0wield the strongest blow. In the words of Samuel Clemens, aka Mark Twain, “Never pick a fight with people who buy ink by the barrel.”<\/p>\n #NotTheEnemy<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" President Trump crossed a line and ruffled a lot of feathers the other day with a tweet that called “the FAKE NEWS media” … the “enemy of the American people.” Admittedly, President Trump and journalists are both suffering a crisis of credibility. According to a recent poll of registered voters, it is a statistical tie\u00a0when … <\/p>\n