'Trump TV' Launches, Accusations of Propaganda Follow
Former CNN reporter Kayleigh McEnany joins new channel, delivering "Real News."
It would seem that President Donald Trump is determined to get his own way when it comes to having a media platform he can control.
Apparently sick of the mainstream media sites that have been generating "fake news", (CNN appears to have taken the brunt of the fake news accusations that Trump routinely offers up) Trump quietly struck up his own news channel. However, with a backdrop that says "DonaldJTrump.com" and "newscasters" saying outright that they are broadcasting from Trump Tower, broadcasters working for the more traditional media platforms are questioning the legitimacy of this news. The word propaganda continues to appear in stories discussing the new news channel, and that should be no surprise.
A state-run media channel is something that some world leaders continue to try and use today. One need only look as far as North Korea to realize that while it would be easy to continue believing that state-run media was a tool only the likes of Hitler took advantage of, it's still in existence today.
"Radio and TV sets in North Korea are pre-tuned to government stations that pump out a steady stream of propaganda," a BBCprofile on North Korea notes, adding that news about famine or economic struggles is simply not reported.
The top newspapers in China are also government-controlled. People's Daily, Beijing Daily, Guangming Daily and the Liberation Daily are all effectively run by the Chinese government and while there are pockets of media that aren't run by the government, these are not highly ranked.
Former CNN reporter Kayleigh McEnany has been an outspoken Trump supporter throughout his campaign and now, it would appear the reporter is on the Trump payroll. McEnany teased her new role with Trump's news station August 5 with a tweet that said, "“While I have enjoyed my time at CNN, I will be moving to a new role. Stay tuned next week.”
Certainly, the "real news" that McEnany and Trump's daughter-in-law Lara Trump have been reporting has very little to do with news and very much to do with pumping up the Trump brand. Lara Trump, who is expecting her first child with the president's son Eric this year, used the first broadcast to discuss the salary donations that the president has made to various departments in the administration. McEnany used the August 6 broadcast to talk about jobs, the economy, the Raise Act (his controversial “merit-based” immigration bill) and veterans, signing off with a cheery, "Thank you for joining us, everybody. I’m Kayleigh McEnany, and that is the real news.”
Nicolle Wallace of Morning Joe was among those who were not buying into the notion of Trump's "news" channel.
“He’s thrown up his hands and he sees his comportment in office doesn’t withstand the sorts for media he relied on in the campaign," she noted. "To me, it’s another string in all these defeats for him. He’s given up on the free media and now he’s making his own media.”
Matt Oswalt, younger brother of comedian Patton Oswalt and an entertainer in his own right, was also disdainful of Trump's new broadcast.
"The only surprising thing about Trump TV is the anchorwoman isn't topless," he tweeted.
American poet and lawyer Seth Abramson questioned the funding for the broadcasts and made a direct connection to North Korea media.
"As Trump has illegally used the presidency to enrich himself at every turn we must assume fundraising for Trump TV will also be illegal," he said, via Twitter. "And what does Trump TV say about *conventional* media? A top CNN election pundit is now a propaganda mouthpiece for state TV. Chilling. Trump's "Real News" show — Trump TV — is state-sponsored propaganda like what Kim uses in North Korea. It's vile."
Whether the Trump TV broadcasts will be ongoing or are only going to run for a short length remains to be seen, but it is clear that those against state-run media are not impressed.
About the Creator
Christina St-Jean
I'm a high school English and French teacher who trains in the martial arts and works towards continuous self-improvement.
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