As a broadcast and print journalist throughout a large part of my media career, I have interviewed people from all walks of life. I've had the pleasure...and the privilege...of sharing the airwaves with...and/or writing about...entertainment superstars...local and national politicians...and interesting individuals who have... "made the news"...because of their fascinating accomplishments...or because they distinguished themselves for one special reason or another. I have also covered the scum of the Earth - murderers...rapists...and other evil creatures - who don't deserve to be called human beings. But...in all my years in the communications business...I have thankfully never experienced first-hand...what I - and millions of other Americans - witnessed on Tuesday, May 31st...when Donald Trump viciously attacked - in a verbally barbaric tirade - the Press Corps that covers him.
Trump's unprovoked...explosive outburst...infuriated me. Americans - for nearly a year while he has traveled the campaign trail - have observed the presumptive Republican nominee express a loathsome attitude toward the media. But never before this week...has Trump's ugly demeanor...been targeted at specific correspondents...to their faces...and on live television.Trump displayed a savage rant...directly at reporters...who in no way...deserved such atrocious treatment. They do their jobs...and they do it well.
Freedom of the Press...is a right...guaranteed by the First Amendment to the United States Constitution. And although our nation's forefathers...did not convey an obligation for respect - either by a reporter or by the one being interviewed - it is simply civilized decency to not torment - and quite frankly...assault - another person...with vulgar language.
As the nastiness of Campaign 2016 has progressed...I've envisioned the "TV Brass" of our country's major networks...congregating in the corner offices of their ivory towers...while counting their money from advertisers...and laughing with joyful hilarity...that Donald Trump was running for President.
Trump has taken full advantage of media - be it television, radio, newspapers, magazines and the Internet - that have provided him with millions of dollars in free publicity. Corporate executives at MSNBC, CNN and FOX News Channel...have many times...handed Trump...30 to 40 minutes or more...for victory speeches and press conferences. Oh yes...the billionaire businessman knows very well...how to use the system...abuse the system...and creatively benefit from the media. When Trump wants the cable networks...the evening news broadcasts...and the Sunday talk shows...to promote his campaign...he accepts with open arms...their invitations.
Yet Trump's toxic tongue...trashes those same journalists - men and women alike - who never sacrifice an ounce of their professionalism...by stooping to Trump's abhorrent level...by lashing back in the contemptible, foulmouthed fashion...spewed by Trump.
As I ponder about the sometimes...malicious and venomous behavior...of certain candidates - whether during debates...at rallies...or whenever a microphone or camera is put before them - perhaps the TV bigwigs...who are beaming with gratification about their high ratings and financial windfall resulting from this election cycle...should have all gathered together...and told Donald Trump - and a few others - that they would no longer appear on their networks...unless they improved their disposition and temperament. Maybe then...America's Press...and America as a whole...would not have been subjected to the horrors...of Donald Trump. And that's The Controversy for today.
I'm Gary B. Duglin.
"We'll talk again."
The Controversy is a publication of GBD Productions. Founder and Editor-In-Chief of The Controversy is Gary B. Duglin.
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Photo credits: usnews.com (Donald Trump #1) and inthesetimes.com (Donald Trump #2)
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Maybe if the reporters did their jobs reporting the news, not trying to make the news, not lying, not taking sound bites out of context, just be fair and honest. Then Trump wouldn’t need to put them in their place. The GOP can’t get an honest break from the left wing media. All you have to do is look at what Katie Couric did with her so called gun documentary; let’s edit things to make someone look bad. It’s not just reporter its media people on both side, Obama’s State Department’s media group took a page straight from Richard Nixon erasing 8 minutes of tape. You make the statement “Trump's unprovoked...explosive outburst...infuriated me” the left wing media and in some cases the full media has been provoking him since he entered the race. They have been lying about him; calling him a racist, anti-immigrant and worse. He is not against immigrants, only illegal immigrants, he is not racist against Muslims, he knows we are at war with “radical Islam” something our President and Hillary are not willing to admit. They edit the tapes to make sound bites; they don’t care about the truth only ratings. Maybe we do need to look harder at who we allow in our country until we can vet them. Remember it is Obama and Clinton that have given us ISIS in the form it is today. Obama himself said they were only a JV team, they had about 500 members, Obama and Clinton’s actions or inactions caused ISIS to grow to over 80,000 strong. I am glad to finally see someone stand up to the left wing liars who call themselves reports, to see what reporters and so called news people have turned into, people like Walter Cronkite and Edward R Murrow must be turning over in their graves.
ReplyDeleteWalter Cronkite and Edward R. Murrow would be proud of today's correspondents and reporters for not getting down in the mud with Donald Trump. I won't even begin to respond to your Trump-loving hatred towards Hillary Clinton and President Obama. It's just like Republicans to put a spin on something to your own benefit. I wrote nothing in this column about Secretary Clinton or President Obama, yet you found it necessary to attack them in your comments. I will not waste my time on bogus remarks and I certainly am not going to get in to a "pissing match" about anything for or against Donald Trump. My column speaks for itself. And thankfully America has reporters doing their jobs and that they will hopefully continue to dig up more and more dirt on a man who has no business being President of the United States. GBD
DeleteYour comments are as disingenuous as the mainstream media. The reports have not dug up dirt on Trump; they have taken comments out of context and or just made up stuff. The media and I guess you included just don’t care about the truth, truth about the US border, truth about Islamic Terrorism, truth about Hillary, truth about the bad deal with Iran, all you want is to demonize the messenger. Is Trump gruff, yes, is he over the top sometimes, yes, is he a mean sometimes, yes and more. The big question is, is he right about most of it, and you bet he is. The Obama Administration couldn’t make a good deal to save it’s life, the most deceptive and divisive administration since Nixon and the most inept since Carter. You and the left don’t like the facts so you go after his personality. You call him a racist, a misogynist and more, most if not all made up by the media. You made the comment “a man who has no business being President of the United States” what right do you have to make that comment and then support Hillary? A woman that, according to leaks from unnamed sources in the State Department’s IG’s office and that the IG is pushing for a criminal indictment against Clinton for her crimes. I stand by my statement; true newsmen and reporters of the past would be sickened and discussed by anyone putting them in the same industry as reporters of today.
ReplyDeleteDonald Trump wouldn't know the truth if it bit him in the butt. I refuse to take up my time debating you on the success and accomplishments of President Obama. As I stated in my earlier response, my column today had nothing to do with President Obama. And for you to compare President Jimmy Carter to Richard Nixon (the only President who had to resign the office) then you are truly a Democratic Hater. Your comments about Hillary Clinton are not only false, but laughable. In the past, when Republicans would spew their venom towards Secretary Clinton, I would spend time trying to educate those individuals with facts. But now, I've given up. Clinton Haters...Democratic Haters...are not worth trying to provide them with the truth because, like Trump, you don't want to accept it. There will never be any "criminal indictment against (Hillary) Clinton" - as you seem to think. The reason is...despite your loathsome remarks that Mrs. Clinton committed any "crimes"...well...that too is just hatred toward the Clintons. I will admit that not all reporters are "the cream of the crop." But not everyone in any industry can be the best. But today's correspondents are performing professionally and with respect toward those they interview...including Donald Trump. And Walter Cronkite...Edward R. Murrow...and other journalist giants of yesteryear...would be proud of the way the reporters today are covering Trump. As for the presumptive Republican nominee himself...anybody who treats people, speaks about people, and talks to people...the way Trump does...has no business being President of the United States. And I am confident that Mrs. Clinton will be elected our next President. To quote Secretary Clinton...Trump is "dangerous." GBD
DeleteWhat a family they are, he was impeached and disbarred, she is under criminal investigation by the FBI and they and you have the guts to throw stones. By the way I did not compare Nixon and Carter, I said that Nixon was deceptive and divisive and Carter was inept. Until Watergate Nixon was a 1000 times better President then Carter. As for being a hater, I am not a hater but you here and in so many of your posts do the name calling and hating. As for what I said about Hillary the IG is the one pushing for a criminal indictment, those are not my words but someone from the State Department IG's Office.
ReplyDeleteI am not a "hater" of anybody. Let's get that straight. But you have no clue what you're talking about when you - and others like you - use the word "impeached" when attacking President Bill Clinton. Being "impeached" is the same as any person who is indicted on charges and goes to trial. It does not mean that the person is guilty of anything. Or don't you know anything about the United States Constitution and the laws of our country? In America, anyone who is arrested, charged and indicted is innocent UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY. The same applies to a President who is impeached. President Clinton was impeached for no reason but for a witchhunt by special prosecutor Ken Starr and the Republicans. The fact of the matter is - President Clinton was not guilty of any wrongdoing, so therefore, he was NOT CONVICTED and, therefore, NOT GUILTY. So it irks me when people like you want to say that President Clinton was impeached - as if he was convicted of something, which he was not. As for being "disbarred" - President Clinton was never disbarred in the manner that you seem to think. Again, Republicans want to spin issues their way. On his last full day as President - January 19, 2001 - Mr. Clinton agreed to a five-year suspension of his Arkansas license to practice law. The former President also paid a $250,000 fine. However, as of January 19, 2006 - that's more than 10 years ago - President Clinton could have been reinstated. Most people think that a disbarred attorney can never practice law again. That is not true. In any event, President Clinton's suspension lasted five years for something bogus. Don't respond back and argue that with me because I refuse to debate the issue. As for President Carter...your comment about President Nixon being "a 1,000 times better President than Carter" until Watergate...that's laughable. President Carter brought peace to Israel and Egypt - not to mention a great many other wonderful accomplishments. And finally, you Republicans need to stop already by thinking that you can merely throw out the words that Hillary Clinton is "under criminal investigation by the FBI." Again, innocent until proven guilty...and Secretary Clinton has nothing to worry about because she never committed a crime...for anything. You and Conservative Talk Radio hosts do it all the time - you quote people that are un-named. "Someone from the State Department IG's Office" says "the IG is the one pushing for a criminal indictment." Big deal. GBD
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