General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsWhy Nobody Cares the President Is Lying
Why Nobody Cares the President Is Lying
By CHARLES J. SYKES
FEB. 4, 2017
MILWAUKEE If President Trumps first tumultuous weeks have done nothing else, at least they have again made us a nation of readers.
As Americans grapple with the unreality of the new administration, George Orwells 1984 has enjoyed a resurgence of interest, becoming a surprise best seller and an invaluable guide to our post-factual world.
On his first full day in office Mr. Trump insisted that his inaugural crowd was the largest ever, a baseless boast that will likely set a pattern for his relationship both to the media and to the truth.
At an event marking Black History Month last week, the president took a detour from a discussion of Frederick Douglass he described the abolitionist as an example of somebody whos done an amazing job and is being recognized more and more to talk about the press. A lot of the media is actually the opposition party theyre so biased, he said. So much of the media is the opposition party and knowingly saying incorrect things.
Mr. Trump understands that attacking the media is the reddest of meat for his base, which has been conditioned to reject reporting from news sites outside of the conservative media ecosystem.
For years, as a conservative radio talk show host, I played a role in that conditioning by hammering the mainstream media for its bias and double standards. But the price turned out to be far higher than I imagined. The cumulative effect of the attacks was to delegitimize those outlets and essentially destroy much of the rights immunity to false information. We thought we were creating a savvier, more skeptical audience. Instead, we opened the door for President Trump, who found an audience that could be easily misled.
The news medias spectacular failure to get the election right has made it only easier for many conservatives to ignore anything that happens outside the rights bubble and for the Trump White House to fabricate facts with little fear of alienating its base.
Unfortunately, that also means that the more the fact-based media tries to debunk the presidents falsehoods, the further it will entrench the battle lines.
more...
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/04/opinion/sunday/why-nobody-cares-the-president-is-lying.html?smid=fb-nytopinion&smtyp=cur&_r=0
Horse with no Name
(33,956 posts)that will never believe anything bad.
My guestimations is that is about 25%. About the same that never could condemn bushco for their war crimes.
The Sand Reckoner
(194 posts)that is irredeemable, batshit right wing crazy.
Scary