Candidate Donald Trump railed against what he calls the “dishonest media.” Now, President Trump will have to decide whether to do something about it.
Trump has already called for tougher libel laws and has threatened to sue newspapers. While it will be hard for President Trump to take direct action that makes it easier to sue or silence news outlets, his appointees will preside over federal agencies including the Federal Communications Commission that oversee media ownership. The Justice Department can block industry mergers, issue subpoenas to news organizations and obtain search warrants.
Perhaps more importantly, Trump is challenging the legitimacy of traditional media at a time of low public standing and great financial stress for the industry, especially newspapers. In September, a Gallup poll found that just 32 percent of Americans have a “great deal” or “fair amount” of trust in the media, the lowest level in the poll’s history.
