sm362415@ohio.edu
The media and politicians have often debated and disagreed with one another. The media seeks to report the truth and often politicians are more focused on their own personal gain. Still, politicians have always seemed to at least have a respect for the journalism profession and their duty to report out to the public. Both typically have worked together respectfully, despite when a news outlet may report out on issues the politicians disagree with. Recently, with the election of President Trump, this divide between the political atmosphere and the media has increased drastically. Despite political biases and opinions, this has become an indisputable fact. Trump's distaste and often, outright disrespect, for the media can be seen time and time again in many conversations Trump has had either on Twitter or through interviews, even going so far as to call the media "the enemy of the people".
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| Photo taken from: https://www.indy100.com/article/donald-trump-president-press-enemies-people-twitter-tweet-7586866 |
What is ironic here is that Trump's problem with the media is that he claims they are spreading falsehood and "fake news" despite his own repetitive comments that have been proven to be blatantly incorrect. With so many false claims and statements, many news outlets have begun to more loosely use a term that was previously almost never used in the media - Lie. It is clear why journalists would steer away from this word, as it is harsh and accusatory, but the debate for when this term should be used is now coming about. While some argue that the term should never be used because there is no way to prove what the person making the false claim was actually thinking and if they intentionally lied or if they were just uninformed. Others believe if the person should be informed and they are repeatedly saying something false, it is perfectly acceptable to call them a liar. Personally, I believe that the term lying should be used sparingly, but is absolutely acceptable in certain situations. A few scenarios where I believe journalists could appropriately use the word "lie" would be:
1. If the person is in a position where they should know the facts of the matter
The president lying about political matters, for example, would be a lie. I would say this constitutes as a lie because more often than not, the person would know the truth about this because it is their profession. If they don't, then they should not be speaking on the matter or possibly they shouldn't hold the position at all if they are so misinformed that they don't understand major topics within their field.
2. Repeatedly sharing misinformation
It is understandable that once or twice a person may accidentally speak incorrectly, especially if they are someone who is often on camera or they are in a high-pressure situation. However, there comes a point where you have to begin questioning if it is intentional. Is it really an innocent mistake of being misinformed if the person continues to consistently make the same "mistake" over and over again with different topics of discussion? The Washington Post has recorded that Trump has made of 4,229 false claims in 558 days. To accidentally make such a large amount of false claims on accident would require a person to be extremely unintelligent and uninformed. While in this scenario one may be able to make a convincing case for this, it is more likely than not that it has become intentional.
3. The correct information is easily accessible
Regardless of your profession, there are some things that are just indisputable. This is because there are facts that are easily accessible and have been repeatedly proven. If you can find the answer in a google search of fewer than 30 seconds, there's really no excuse in sharing incorrect information.
4. Blatant manipulation
I thought this one might go without saying, but then Press Secretary Sarah Sanders doctored footage of a press conference and claimed she wasn't lying and it wasn't doctored footage.... For obvious reasons, this is clearly an intentional lie. For anyone who needs me to make a more convincing case, I would simply redirect to the dictionary definition of a lie.
This may seem biased, but I think it is important to acknowledge that despite political views, it is undeniable and can be shown through facts that President Trump has done not just one of these, but all of these examples for what I would consider to be a major red flag of a liar. The president, intentionally or not, repeatedly sharing false information and blaming the media has created a major political divide and a divide between the people and the media that is damaging in many ways. It is important to acknowledge this because it will allow for a more open mind before we believe anything anyone says simply because of their status.
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