Media not enemy; it’s a safeguard

By Robert Blanner, North Las Vegas

Thursday, March 2, 2017 | 2 a.m.

One of the most important safeguards in our democracy is freedom of the press. It is important that the people have confidence in the news.

One of the scariest aspects of the Donald Trump presidency is his constant attacks on mainstream media. He and Steve Bannon call the media the “opposition party.” They say the media specializes in “fake news.” In a recent tweet, Trump called the media the “enemy of the people.” He is attempting to get the people to denounce the press and question the credibility of their reporting. This is taking a page out of Adolf Hitler’s propaganda strategy.

We need to start being alert to the fact that Trump might prefer state-run media to free press. In fact, in the tweet mentioned above, he named all major television networks except Fox News as the enemy of the people. Meaning he would like to see Fox News as his press outlet.

Trump constantly talks about fake news. He and his staff thrive on “alternate news.” In fact, the media merely reports on what Trump says and does. Kellyanne Conway says the problem with the press is that they report what he says; they should instead look into his heart. In other words, what he says is not the truth, but he means well.

It is time to take Trump very seriously. The media needs to be vigilant in reporting his words and deeds.