From my responses to friends’ Facebook posts and my response to comments to my FB posts about the subject.
JOURNALISM has a professional (and moral) responsibility to report/write only those that would aid the people and community, narrow the divide, and not to project the contrary. Presidents and you and I say stuff but since heads of state and politicians' words affect public perception, it is a journalist's common sense to only type up what the people require towards a better coexistence with society. Sounds ideal-bullshit but that's my belief.
We judge a leader by their overall leadership, not what comes out of their mouth; and as sane people, it is primal reflex to take in only the good and reject the bad. I mean, politicians are not gods and goddesses. I once worked (as media liaison) for senators and presidential bets in Asia. If I wrote everything that I heard or told me, I'd be a non-thinking tape recorder. Not a journalist.
WORDS matter. But "words," whether they are said truthfully/honestly or in jest or in sarcasm or even in anger, have to be processed (by the media) for the greater public good.
In the context of current America, the divide is eerily self-destructing (regardless of where, Left or Right, we are holding fort) and I blame the media a lot for these cracks. Mr Trump as he is, says it as he feels it. And many times, that'd be careless or the words are cherry-picked as click baits. This side of the divide is so alert for those quotes, of course. They're always ready to capture the grim highlights of Trump's mouth.
That's how the media covers Donald Trump. Accentuating his bad mouth and downplaying his POTUS work. As conventional journalism ups the mockery grade and Social Media picks up the dirt, late night TV raises the insult measure, afterwards.
LEADERS say stuff. Amidst all the drama, I don't think a head of state maintains poise as though they are robots. No cuss words, no bad retorts, no "unfriendly" comment–when the tape recorder or camera isn't there? Nah ah. They are human and you and me. Yet many personalities and celebrities simply say things.
But as a reporter/editor I must know what is "off the record" even if the speaker couldn't stop yapping. That differentiates the tabloid writer from the earnest beat reporter. At least that's what I learned in journalism school. I think, I don't just hear.
I repeat, reporters are not tape recorders; reporters think before they write. But since today's media is more hot on pulling the man down, so WTF, accentuate the quote, I guess? That is not my journalism.
DONALD Trump isn't really criticized for his POTUS work per se, instead he is being criticized for every word that comes out of his gung-ho mouth?
I never liked Mr Trump, pre-2017. Never. But I closely followed his POTUS work, policy per policy (especially his foreign affairs playbook), after his MOAB drop in April 2017. From that point, he suddenly became more dovish. I rate his performance better than most but I concur that his public speaking mojo is the worst ever by a POTUS.
But we are talking about the President of the world's most powerful nation. While the popular hate for him is obviously the reason for all the anti-Trump bombast, I can't judge a POTUS by his crass character. Mr Trump is a lot more than that.
There is no way I could discuss a person's language or overall personality but I am always set and ready to debate the person. In the case of The D, his individual policies. In a parallel line, Barack Obama could be the coolest POTUS dude ever, saying only the nicest words. But I can rant anytime about all the lies that he said. The policies that sucked. (He is the last POTUS that I actually covered before I quit my journalism life.)
FROM what I pointed out somewhere here, we say words beyond normal perception of cool. You and me and POTUS. But someone's death somehow quiets us down. That's how I see death, let them RIP. I don't wish death to anyone, including my perceived enemies.
But then there's media that is only after public consumption of the product that they toss than anything else. The media should simply ignore "words" that don't make sense, let `em go. But they pick them up for obvious reasons--not per media's job to foster unity or narrow the cracks or optimism amidst all the hate but per media's clear intent to widen the divide by accentuating Trump's mouth over his POTUS work in its entirety.
They know Mr Trump will say something that amounts to controversy. Yet I don't think it is only Mr Trump who wields such a no-filter mojo among heads of state. But these are the times when quotes matter more to the media than information dissemination, in general, esp. because it's hate-Trump that rules the ink. Ergo, the Left-wing media is more interested in the dirt in his words than the output in his leadership. 🏛🗽🏛
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