How Donald Trump became media "catnip" and why we stay hooked
- 3 years ago
From the launch of his 2016 campaign, President Donald Trump has drawn media attention, for better or for worse, and along with it, ratings have gone up across cable TV news. Political analyst and MSNBC's host of "AM Joy" Joy Reid explains the dangerous and "symbiotic relationship" between Trump and the press on "Salon Talks."
Reid's latest book, "The Man Who Sold America: Trump and the Unraveling of the American Story," covers everything from the media's mistakes covering Trump in the 2016 race, to the daily coverage of his chaotic administration. Reid breaks down the consequences of the media's undeniable attraction to Trump.
"Everything he does, even when it's horrible, caging children, he does it so big, that you can't not pay attention to him. He makes you pay attention to him," Reid said. She goes on to explain how Trump is "catnip" for the media.
But more importantly, Reid points out the inherent issue with bias on display. "The media has a tick where they want very badly to be in the middle, not to be in conflict with this president but to just cover him from the voice from nowhere. And that no one wants to be perceived as liberals who are attacking the president."
She continued, "The Republican party spent 50 years demonizing the media as this liberal, you know, entity that's out to get conservatives. They don't wanna look like they're partisans who are fighting against Donald Trump."
Watch the video above to hear Reid explain the hypocrisy of "the anthropological excursions to Trump's America where we observe Trump voters in the wild." And watch the full episode to hear her predictions for Trump's 2020 campaign.
SalonTV host Dean Obeidallah is also the host of the daily national SiriusXM radio program, "The Dean Obeidallah Show" on the network's progressive political channel. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook.
Reid's latest book, "The Man Who Sold America: Trump and the Unraveling of the American Story," covers everything from the media's mistakes covering Trump in the 2016 race, to the daily coverage of his chaotic administration. Reid breaks down the consequences of the media's undeniable attraction to Trump.
"Everything he does, even when it's horrible, caging children, he does it so big, that you can't not pay attention to him. He makes you pay attention to him," Reid said. She goes on to explain how Trump is "catnip" for the media.
But more importantly, Reid points out the inherent issue with bias on display. "The media has a tick where they want very badly to be in the middle, not to be in conflict with this president but to just cover him from the voice from nowhere. And that no one wants to be perceived as liberals who are attacking the president."
She continued, "The Republican party spent 50 years demonizing the media as this liberal, you know, entity that's out to get conservatives. They don't wanna look like they're partisans who are fighting against Donald Trump."
Watch the video above to hear Reid explain the hypocrisy of "the anthropological excursions to Trump's America where we observe Trump voters in the wild." And watch the full episode to hear her predictions for Trump's 2020 campaign.
SalonTV host Dean Obeidallah is also the host of the daily national SiriusXM radio program, "The Dean Obeidallah Show" on the network's progressive political channel. Follow him on Twitter and Facebook.