What Donald Trump’s Victory Means for the Mainstream Media

After a long night that ended up with a clear Trump victory, I think it’s safe enough to say that, from now on, there are going to be some radical changes in the relationship between the American people and Mainstream Media (MSM).

Here there are the following 15 talking points that should be considered (in a random order):

(1) The MSM has always presented itself as the holder of Truth. Reality has shown that MSM has been engaged for way too long in a war with Truth, and MSM has lost this war.

(2) The MSM has portrayed Hillary Clinton as a person exonerated from criminal responsibility for her numerous acts of corruption and illegal activities over time. Reality has indicated that she has jeopardized national security, and has threatened certain individuals, perceived as dangerous or compromising for her own political convenience.

(3) The MSM has presented Donald Trump as an isolated, exotic character, unrelated to the world’s current major concerns (particularly in Europe, but also in Asia and Africa), such as: Islamic terrorism, massive immigration (particularly from Muslim countries), and the assault against Christianity. Reality has shown that Trump is, indeed, a true American Mr. Brexit.

(4) The MSM has presented populism as a marginal trend in the American society. Reality has proven that the majorities of the electorates of both parties, Republican and Democratic, consist in populist voters, who support anti-Establishment candidates (Donald Trump or Bernie Sanders).

(5) The MSM has followed Hillary Clinton and portrayed – narratively and statistically - more than half of the country’s population as a “basket of deplorables,”...  Reality has shown that the so-called majority - ideologically and racially – consists in an accumulation of several minority groups...

(7) The MSM has presented as a fait accompli the idea that winning televised presidential debates organized by MSM is a solid predictor of winning the presidency. Reality has illustrated that this has become a myth...

(8) The MSM has instilled the idea that political household names – like Kennedy, Clinton or Bush – are invincible per se. Reality has shown that non-politicians, like Trump, can take down in just one electoral race two powerful political-dynastic names (Bush and Clinton), which had ruled the country for 16 years in a row.

(9) ...Reality has proven that “temperament” involves a powerful character, strong values, determination, contempt for political correctness...

(11) The MSM has constructed a narrative according to which certain constituents (like minorities, union workers) can be regarded as “plantation workers” and certain constituencie...  the reality has shown that nobody and nothing can be taken for granted anymore.

(12) ... Reality has shown that Republicans can win the presidency and both houses of the Congress (for the first time since November 1928!). However, this does not exempt the Republicans from reforming their own party...

As a consequence of all of the above, the MSM has lost irremediably the right to be called “mainstream.”

TIBERIU DIANU is a scholar and author of several books and articles in law, politics, and post-communist societies. He currently lives and works in Washington, DC.           

Related article

Professor Who Accurately Predicted Trump Victory Accuses Media of Poll Bias, Breitbart, November 11, 2016.