It seems everyone in the media who doesn’t work for Fox News wants cable news and broadcast networks to stop carrying President Trump’s daily briefings on the coronavirus crisis. The Washington Post’s Margaret Sullivan called for TV stations to stop carrying Trump’s “dangerous” press conferences. Joe Scarborough urged all news channels to cut away from Trump’s presser which had “no public benefit.” (MSNBC obliged.) And on Wednesday, the New York Times ran a piece asking if Trump’s daily briefings should be carried live.
The Daily Beast now has a piece compiling all of those complaints, along with some input from industry “insiders” who chose not to be named.
NBC and CNN producers say they're through airing Trump's virus pressers. “We might take it from the top and then cut away after the first lie, and return when the lies stop.” https://t.co/kNhwJGhVe3
— Noah Shachtman (@NoahShachtman) March 25, 2020
“We might take it from the top and then cut away after the first lie, and return when the lies stop,” the Daily Beast reports one cable-network producer saying. And an MSNBC insider said that someone had already died as a result of the president’s briefings: “They’re so full of misinformation. Someone has already died from it,” a different MSNBC insider said, citing the story of an Arizona man who ingested fish-tank solvent, chloroquine with phosphate, after hearing Trump tout that key ingredient in its prescription-drug form at one of his press conferences.
So Trump’s briefings have proved fatal because a man and his wife decided to ingest fish-tank cleaner because Trump told them to?
Like we reported before, it sure seems like it’s all about ratings — not TV ratings but the president’s ratings — with a new poll giving Trump a 60 percent approval rating of his handling of the COVID-19 crisis.
Imagine thinking CNN is an arbiter of truth.
— Jessica Fletcher (@heckyessica) March 25, 2020
And @FoxNews will have 50 Million viewers.@CNN & @NBCNews is finished. Trust me
— SeldenGADawgs (@SeldenGADawgs) March 25, 2020
"why don't we have any viewers?" they cry into the void
— Steve Dallas (@hodgepodge80s) March 25, 2020
"His approval on the COVID response is pretty good. Dammit! How can we slow this down? I know, control the narrative to just frame everything he says/does in the worst way possible! Can't let people hear directly from the leader of the free world!"
— Joey Jo-Jo (@joey_jj_jr) March 25, 2020
— Guy Faux (@Faux_Guy_) March 25, 2020
"people are only allowed to see what we want them to see"
— Vaiv (@Vaiv71738794) March 25, 2020
These people need to be diagnosed
— Rob D (@dueckman123) March 25, 2020
The media HATES not being able to control the flow of information. They are obsolete and they know it.
— Carnage (@Carnage057) March 25, 2020
Censorship of the President during a crisis.
Third World
— FoFo Spumoni ? (@FofoSpumoni) March 25, 2020
.@NBCNews and @CNN @CNNPolitics don't want to cover the pressers because the American people conclude that the President is doing his job well.
It is helping President Trump's standing, so they have to stop covering it.
Never mind that the American people find value in the info
— Mike Moss (@_MikeMoss) March 25, 2020
Media: "It's been a billion days since Trump had a briefing, we need transparency! We need him to answer questions!
Same Media when Trump has daily multi-hour briefings: "Orange Man Bad, we no listen."
— Деfiиiтеlу иoт а яussiаи Ьoт (@botski3000) March 25, 2020
10s of viewers will not see the pressers
— Sweater Yams (@Sweater_Yams_) March 25, 2020
I have a better idea, don't attend at all. That would leave room for independent honest journalists. You won't be missed.
— Mrs. Sprat (@mrssprat49) March 25, 2020
But journalists like Yamiche Alcindor have to be there to get important information, like what Trump thought about that unnamed White House official who allegedly called the coronavirus the “kung flu.”
People will want to hear directly from the people are that are on our government's coronavirus panel and they will change the channel or open their phone to a YouTube stream.
— Heather Champion (@winningatmylife) March 25, 2020
Easy.
— Tim Sumner (@SgtTim911) March 25, 2020
Once that 60% Gallup poll came out, it was code red for these guys.
— FilmScoreLove (@ScoreAndOST) March 25, 2020
It’s pretty tough to prop up Joe Biden with what he’s giving them with his daily shadow briefings.
Related:
NYT Opinion columnist blames ~spins wheel~ network news for Trump's 60% approval on coronavirus response https://t.co/POHTtnTm8r
— Twitchy Team (@TwitchyTeam) March 25, 2020
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