Posted on 01/04/2017 12:39:13 PM PST by drewh
Several mainstream media reporters whined on Twitter Wednesday morning that President-elect Donald Trump is setting and controlling the news agenda everyday with his statements posted on his Twitter account. The whine-fest came one day after Trump forced the House GOP to reverse course on weakening an ethics panel as their first order of business with a pair of tweets criticizing the move that said, “With all that Congress has to work on, do they really have to make the weakening of the Independent Ethics Watchdog, as unfair as it………..may be, their number one act and priority. Focus on tax reform, healthcare and so many other things of far greater importance! #DTS”
With his revolutionary use of social media Trump has taken power away from the gatekeeper media to filter his communications to the public and others in power and they (the media) do not like it with at least one media executive predicting that Trump’s tweets will soon be ignored.
Eric Lipton with the New York Times started the press’ Twitter tantrum, writing, “Trump sets agenda every morning with exaggerated/false/destabilizing Tweets, and then we all write about them, letting him own the day. Why?”
Lipton’s Twitter bio reads, “Investigative reporter NYT, based in Washington. Helping cover President-elect Donald Trump-without fear or favor. Tweets detailing moves by Trump, other topics”
The Washington Post’s Dave Weigel added his own complaint to Lipton’s, writing, “Tweet stenography is a cheaper and more reliable source of clicks than original reporting.”
The Times’ Maggie Haberman whined that Trump controlled the agenda all through the campaign with his Twitter account, “This. Was. The. Whole. Campaign.”
Bloomberg’s David S. Joachim agreed with Lipton, writing, “Precisely, precisely, precisely. Can we stop now? –>”
The Wall Street Journal’s Robbie Whelan added his complaint about Trump, saying, “Because his main goals are setting the agenda and getting us to chase rabbits. And it’s working.”
The Daily Beast’s Executive Editor Noah Schachtman wrote the media will “wise up” about Trump, saying, “Some day soon, reporters are going to wise up and treat Trump’s tweets like WH press releases. Ignoring 99% of them, in other words.”
CNN’s media reporter Brian Stelter wrote the concern among the media over Trump controlling the agenda via his Twitter account has been going on for months, but claimed that the coverage would be the same if Obama were issuing press releases the way Trump tweets statements, saying, “Lots of reporters & TV anchors privately asking this same question. True in November and December too, but I’m hearing it more in January…” Stelter also disputed Schachtman’s prediction, saying, “Counterargument: if Obama issued press releases saying what Trump says on Twitter, reporters would cover the heck out of the press releases!
To be sure there were some reporters, mainly from conservative outlets, who disagreed with Lipton. But it was Blake Hounsell, Editor in Chief of Politico Magazine who succinctly made the case for reporting on Trump’s Twitter statements, “Probably because he is the next president of the United States.”
The mainstream media is in for a long four (eight?) years of no longer controlling the agenda.
Me too, sort of. I opened a twitter account in 2008, messed with it for a while and then inactivated it (just never saw the point in it). Recently reactivated it because of DJT, although it looks like all his tweets appear on Facebook, anyway.
I enjoy this too much. Hope it’s not a sin...
I watched it this morning...they were flailing but still talking about his Tweets...they have to and can’t avoid it.
To get a twitter account, don’t you have to give them all your PII?
Full name & phone number or you can use an email. You can choose a username so your real name (assuming you give them that to start with) doesn’t show up.
Here’s the link that shows what you need:
https://support.twitter.com/articles/100990?lang=en#
I use a Tracphone & have an email address (separate from the one I use all the time) just for stuff like this.
Thanks.
Don't blame Twitter!
Donald pretty much CONTROLLED the press all thru the last year!
Why should I have a phone number associated with my Twitter account?
Allowing your friends to find you (if they have your phone number saved as a contact).
Or perhaps someone ELSE who ‘wants to find you’...
You can use an email instead of a phone #. For setting up many accounts, an email is sent with a link to click or a text to your phone with a ‘code’ you have to enter to finalize setting up your account. If your account is hacked, there is a verified way to be in touch with you/account owner for recovery purposes. That’s my best guess.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.