How Trump might cripple the news media. Good luck, everyone.
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photo illustration by Peggy and Marco Lachmann-Anke
After Donald Trump won the presidency in 2016, news organizations benefitted from a “Trump bump” in ratings and page views. The aftermath since November, however, has been the opposite. Metrics for media in the non-sycophant category have showed a Trump slump.
That trend might continue, because if the returning president accomplishes even some of the anti-media measures he has talked about, there could be a whole lot less journalism worth paying attention to.
Below are many of the ways that Trump might make it harder for the press to do its job during his second administration. All of these either have precedent from the first administration or represent more recent public statements made by Trump, cabinet nominees or advisers. Some are part of Project 2025. It’s a non-innovative list from the authoritarian handbook used throughout time and the world.
It would be a mistake to dismiss any of these potential actions as mere annoyances. They would translate into obstacles to effective journalism. Let’s also acknowledge that many groups have more to fear during the next four years than the news media. But the victimization of those groups will be made easier by a hampered press.
Anyone who believes the mainstream media as a group deserves retribution for failures and bias should remember, as they read this list, that the best ways to accomplish that are audience protests and denial of patronage, not government interference.
Reduce government funding for public media (NPR, PBS and radio and TV stations affiliated with the Corporation for Public Broadcasting). The independence of Voice of America broadcasts stands at risk, too.
Threaten the broadcast licenses of affiliates of over-air TV networks.
Arrange for wealthy political supporters to buy media properties.
Meddle with mergers and acquisitions involving news companies he doesn’t like. MSNBC and CNN might get sold or merged during the term, for examples.
Change the tax status of nonprofit news organizations that report on terrorism (or on any topic that displeases the administration).
Order executive branch departments to manipulate or refuse to disclose government data. And to stonewall Freedom of Information requests.
Appoint judges who will re-interpret decades of libel law.
Instruct the Justice Department to seize reporter phone and email records in an attempt to identify confidential sources and discourage government employees from becoming such sources. Also, pressure Congress not to pass a federal shield law that protects news sources and journalist records.
Prosecute journalists on completely bogus grounds.
Launch similarly bogus lawsuits intended to harass or intimidate news organizations, requiring them at minimum to waste time and money. Expect like-minded public figures to copycat.
Allocate or revoke White House press credentials based on favorable/unfavorable coverage.
Equally insidious as these tangible actions, Trump will certainly continue his tiresome tropes that the news media report “fake news” and are “the enemy of the people.” At its worst, this rhetoric subjects journalists to verbal and physical threatss as they do their jobs in public. At minimum, this is alarmingly effective propaganda that he and supporters peddle so that when a negative story gets published, fewer people will believe it. Trump has admitted as much.
This is quite the frightening list. But the news media have ways to resist, and the reputable ones will want to. That’ll be easier if news consumers help.
If you can afford it, buy a subscription or donate to any local, regional or national outlet that you think is doing a good job. It need not be a big, well-known organization. Even a small amount helps, because proof of grassroots support is often a prerequisite for big grants from national foundations.
Beyond money, there’s value in publicly expressing objections to anti-media actions, preferably before they happen. Do it on social media or, better yet, contact elected representatives. Let them know you’re paying attention and it matters to you.
Finally, we need some better media literacy. While not dismissing journalism’s flaws and the need to do better, it’s crucial that readers and viewers figure out the good news sources from the bad ones, and when faced with critical but credibly reported stories, believe them. And persuade the neighbors to believe them, too.
I’d advocate for this whether the government was in the hands of a crazed authoritarian or a left-wing extremist. Believe those stories. Remember them. Make them part of the democratic process of government accountability. The news media are positioned to help that happen – that is, if they aren’t getting throttled by the heavy hand of an administration that knows it needs to corrupt the process.
“My main concern is that local politicians will take their cue from Trump and harass us.”