Noting where the virus originated was fine when CNN, the Washington Post , and Politico did it. But when Trump started, suddenly the line from national outlets was that it was racist. Labeling the president a racist was a tried- and-true strategy from the national media. When they didn’t have comments to take out of context, they’d rely on the claims of secret nods to white supremacy. Postponing Harriet Tubman’s currency? The View’s Joy Behar Media coverage in the age of Trump meant relishing any opportunity to attack him, even when their attacks conflicted with previous positions. clear missteps by the president, was clearly turning the public against the administration. And though the cable networks covered 2016 Trump rallies uninterrupted, this election season they regularly broke away from his coronavirus press briefings for snarky “fact checks” and petty analysis. They were going to tell the public how to react to Trump. It was working... Trump faced public perception that he was responsible for the pandemic’s impact. With the help of some activist media members, notably New York Times opinion writer Gail Collins, some even called it the “Trump virus.” Going into a reelection campaign, this was a bad look. Trump began calling the virus either the “Wuhan virus” or “Chinese virus.” That, too, was met with unhinged criticism.
a public health emergency, and Trump restricted travel from China to slow the virus from entering the United States. It was a decision met with near-immediate derision... It’s xenophobic ! In February, a New York Times tourism reporter asked, “Who says it’s not safe to travel to China?” while bemoaning the racism expected to come. After Biden smeared the ban as “xenophobic,” CNN ran a piece claiming the ban would “stigmatize countries and ethnicities.” BuzzFeed amplified global health law expert Lawrence Gostin of Georgetown University who claimed the ban was both an “overreaction” and a likely violation of civil rights laws. Vox declared travel bans “simply don’t work.” Stopping travelers who, at the time, had the highest likelihood of contracting the virus somehow wouldn’t work at slowing its spread... Yet months later, the very same outlets clutched their pearls over outdoor Trump rallies being “superspreader” events. Media coverage in the age of Trump meant relishing any opportunity to attack him, even when their attacks conflicted with previous positions. When Trump left the decision to close state economies to governors, it was wrong... They said he should have mandated a strict nationwide lockdown. But when Trump wanted to reopen the economy, the very same outlets said it was government overreach, inviting governors on the air to push back at the supposed abuse. The media coverage, and some objectively
American Consequences
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