I know a little about how information media works. I used to teach it at the college level..which doesn't make me an expert, but I know enough to understand how the schoolyard leader of the free world is playing the media decision makers as well as their on-screen performers, aka, reporters and pundits.
This is about how Trump thrashes and trashes with his Twitter account. Can we agree that nothing he tweets is substantive? That is, his Twitter utterances amount to cotton candy for his fans, not at all nourishing but full of empty energy to boost the endorphins. The three major player cable teams—MSNBC, CNN and FOX—facilitate these blaring nothings as faux substance for their deliberations. Trump and his minions (especially Lewandowski) wallow in these on air discussions of these screeds; they know that it's all free commercial communication to keep the hoi poloi engaged and to attract the ire of the opposition. Trump thrives on the opposition—without them you have no reality show.
And like reality shows, these tweeted "confrontations" become tedious pretty quickly. Keeping ire at a high pitch is exhausting at best.
So here's my proposal. All press or information outlets agree to ignore whatever tweets Trump posts, starting immediately. This would include all nightly and morning news shows. I'm fairly certain Fox would demur, because Twitter pretty much provides their musings.
The obvious problem with the proposal is its effect on the bottom line. This, of course, would pose a tough decision for the 24-hour news cyclists. They would need to pursue more substantive stories, and they would need to present them in deeper and broader perspective. In other words, the experience of the Trump administration stories would become less infotainments and more effectual information.
Yes, this sounds like the ramblings of a retired academic. And I'm what most people would label a "liberal," which seems to have become an impotent designation. But none of that matters here. What ought to matter to the 24-hour cyclists is that this retired academic is following less and less of their programming.
In any case, it's something to consider. And who knows? It just might stir up some enthusiasm among the viewers.
This is about how Trump thrashes and trashes with his Twitter account. Can we agree that nothing he tweets is substantive? That is, his Twitter utterances amount to cotton candy for his fans, not at all nourishing but full of empty energy to boost the endorphins. The three major player cable teams—MSNBC, CNN and FOX—facilitate these blaring nothings as faux substance for their deliberations. Trump and his minions (especially Lewandowski) wallow in these on air discussions of these screeds; they know that it's all free commercial communication to keep the hoi poloi engaged and to attract the ire of the opposition. Trump thrives on the opposition—without them you have no reality show.
And like reality shows, these tweeted "confrontations" become tedious pretty quickly. Keeping ire at a high pitch is exhausting at best.
So here's my proposal. All press or information outlets agree to ignore whatever tweets Trump posts, starting immediately. This would include all nightly and morning news shows. I'm fairly certain Fox would demur, because Twitter pretty much provides their musings.
The obvious problem with the proposal is its effect on the bottom line. This, of course, would pose a tough decision for the 24-hour news cyclists. They would need to pursue more substantive stories, and they would need to present them in deeper and broader perspective. In other words, the experience of the Trump administration stories would become less infotainments and more effectual information.
Yes, this sounds like the ramblings of a retired academic. And I'm what most people would label a "liberal," which seems to have become an impotent designation. But none of that matters here. What ought to matter to the 24-hour cyclists is that this retired academic is following less and less of their programming.
In any case, it's something to consider. And who knows? It just might stir up some enthusiasm among the viewers.
