The Facts of Life: Trump, the news media and truth

Two excellent articles today in the New York Times, that delve into and critique Trump’s “enemy of the people” line about the news media. (Jim Rutenberg, in his The Mediator column, linked second here, uses the word “gobbledygook.” I love that word. Must stick it into something soon.)

Donald J. Trump was no stranger back in the day to the art of news management. But even that did not seem to prepare him for the capital press corps.

Source: Trump Ruled the Tabloid Media. Washington Is a Different Story. – The New York Times

And this, from Jim Rutenberg:

It’s time for other Republicans to take a stand: The journalism that Mr. Trump and his aides seek to delegitimize today could be the legitimate research they need to use tomorrow.

Source: Will the Real Democracy Lovers Please Stand Up? – The New York Times

Both of these pieces are heralded by a stunning and powerful Times advertisement that occupies two full pages in the A section–15 and 17.

Here is the entirety of text on page 15:

TRUTH.

It’s more important now than ever.

The Times online edition does not include their ads (why not?), but this one is so striking I’m going to copy page 17 in its entirety:

The truth is hard.

The truth is hidden.

The truth must be pursued.

The truth is hard to hear.

The truth is rarely simple.

The truth isn’t so obvious.

The truth is necessary.

The truth can’t be glossed over.

The truth has no agenda.

The truth can’t be manufactured.

The truth doesn’t take sides.

The truth isn’t red or blue.

The truth is hard to accept.

The truth pulls no punches.

The truth is powerful.

The truth is under attack.

The truth is worth defending.

The truth requires taking a stand.

The truth is more important now than ever.

At the bottom is “The New York Times,” in its elegant font.

 

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