Is the media 'normalising' Donald Trump? - The Listening Post (Full)

Summary

The video from Al Jazeera English examines whether media outlets are normalizing Donald Trump by their coverage. It starts with Trump labeling the media as 'fake news' and highlights the contrasting media reactions to two of his speeches — one aggressive and another more composed. The segment scrutinizes the troubled relationship between the Trump administration and the press, with incidents like the selective ban of specific news outlets from press briefings. The narrative explores the media's role in potentially reshaping Trump's image by covering his events in a manner that sometimes lacks critical evaluation. Additionally, the video highlights international media stories, like a German intelligence spying scandal and new media initiatives using indigenous languages in Peru.

Highlights

• Trump branded the media as 'fake news' at CPAC, exacerbating media-government tensions. 🎤
• The press swung from criticism to praise following Trump's Congress address. 🏛️
• Media exclusions from briefings spark debate about press freedom. 🚫
• Selective media access raises ethical concerns. ⚖️
• Reports of global journalistic surveillance by German intelligence surface. 🕵️‍♂️
• A new Quechua-language news program in Peru aims to inform and empower indigenous populations. 📺

Key Takeaways

• Trump's media strategy oscillates between combative and composed speeches, causing varied media reactions. 🤔
• Media outlets may unintentionally normalize Trump by praising his occasional 'presidential' demeanor. 😲
• Exclusion of certain media from White House briefings marks a new low in media-government relations. 🚫
• Scrutiny and fact-checking reveal discrepancies in Trump's speeches despite initial media praises. 🔍
• Focus on international media issues reveals global threats to press freedom and innovative language use. 🌍

Overview

In the world of media, perception is everything, but what happens when that perception swings wildly as it often does with Donald Trump? Al Jazeera's "The Listening Post" dives into the tumultuous dance between the media and the 45th President of the United States, as his speeches seem to send reporters on a merry-go-round of attitudes. Is it normalization, acceptance, or just exhaustion driving this narrative?

From his fiery declaration of war against the so-called 'fake news' to the more stately tones presented in front of Congress, Trump's media gamesmanship leaves journalists in a spin. The decision to block major outlets like CNN from press briefings adds fuel to the fire of controversy. These are not just battles of rhetoric but skirmishes that point to larger battles over press freedoms and ethical journalism.

The global stage isn't spared from unsettling media narratives either. From Germany's clandestine snooping on journalists to Peru's groundbreaking Quechua-language broadcast championing indigenous perspectives, the story is universal: press freedom is under siege, and new narratives are emerging in response. The video takes us around the globe, underscoring the universal and local stories shaping how we consume news.

Chapters

• 00:00 - 00:30: Introduction and Overview The chapter "Introduction and Overview" discusses the growing disconnect between the American people and the media. It highlights President Trump's stance, labeling 'fake news' as the enemy of the people and asserting that the media does not and will never represent the populace. It also touches on Trump's apparent disregard for valuing an independent press, as remarked by Barbara Sarah from the Listening Post. Additionally, the chapter covers an instance where President Trump delivers a speech without theatrics and media intervention.
• 00:30 - 02:00: Media Dynamics and Trump The chapter titled 'Media Dynamics and Trump' discusses several pressing issues in the media landscape. Firstly, it covers how media pundits are delivering generally positive evaluations of a nearly two-decade-long German surveillance operation that targeted international journalists in Peru. Secondly, it highlights the launch of a new news program that broadcasts in one of Peru's oldest languages, showcasing the country's rich cultural heritage. Lastly, the chapter notes a humorous and unconventional recruitment video by Australia's finance department, where staff members casually invite the audience to join them for paleo pear and banana bread.
• 02:00 - 03:00: Trump's Relationship with Media The chapter discusses the tumultuous relationship between the Trump administration and the media, particularly focusing on a recent period of escalated tensions. This includes President Trump reiterating his stance on the media as 'the enemy of the people' during an event at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC). Additionally, the chapter highlights a significant incident involving Press Secretary Sean Spicer, who excluded multiple media outlets such as The New York Times and CNN from a press briefing, sparking controversy.
• 03:00 - 06:00: Media's Attempt to Normalize Trump In the chapter titled "Media's Attempt to Normalize Trump," the narrative focuses on the media's portrayal of Donald Trump during two contrasting events. Initially, there is a mention of BuzzFeed and the BBC reporting from a press briefing, which triggered instant headlines suggesting a new low in the government's war with the media. However, within days, Trump addressed a joint session of Congress, presenting key budget proposals in a dramatically different manner. This time, the optics, tone, and language were much more sober, and there was a distinct absence of his usual attacks on the "lying press." The chapter highlights the media's reaction to these contrasting portrayals of Trump, suggesting an attempt to normalize his image by focusing on the more restrained version of his public persona.
• 10:30 - 12:00: German Spying Scandal In this chapter titled 'German Spying Scandal,' the focus is on Donald Trump's complex relationship with the media and his ability to garner their attention. Despite his public disdain for the press, Trump has a knack for performing in a way that captivates media interest, showcasing his skill in media manipulation. The chapter begins with the observation of Trump's presidential demeanor during a speech, which sparked contrasting media reactions. Minaki Ravi from the Listening Post reports from Washington DC, providing the starting point for a deeper exploration into the topic.
• 12:00 - 15:00: Resignation of Turkish Editor This chapter covers the resignation of a Turkish editor. The transcript details two speeches delivered in differing settings, yet with a similar core message focused on the unwavering commitment to protect the safety and security of the American people. The speakers assert their duty to serve, protect, and defend, emphasizing that they will not apologize for actions taken to ensure national safety.
• 15:30 - 19:00: Media Crackdown in Togo The chapter titled 'Media Crackdown in Togo' contrasts the media's response to two different speeches by Donald Trump. The first speech at CPAC (Conservative Political Action Conference) was described as raw and unrestrained, whereas the speech delivered during a Joint session of Congress was perceived as more presidential. The media's reaction to the congressional speech was notably positive, with commentators asserting that at that moment, Donald Trump truly assumed the role of President of the United States in their eyes. This softening of the media's critical stance highlights how the style and setting of a speech can significantly alter public and media perception.
• 19:30 - 23:00: Indigenous Language News in Peru The chapter discusses the portrayal of a political figure as 'presidential' by American journalism despite his controversial combative status. It highlights the media's desire to normalize this figure and focus on the appearance and status of the presidency over his unconventional behavior. This eagerness by the media is viewed as bizarre given the strangeness associated with this political figure's actions.
• 23:30 - 26:30: Impact of Indigenous Language News The chapter, titled 'Impact of Indigenous Language News,' focuses on the challenges of ensuring factual accuracy in media coverage, especially in a politically charged environment. It begins with an examination of how political speeches, like those of former President Trump, may include misleading claims or outright falsehoods that are later corrected by fact-checks. The initial section discusses the ease of managing public perception or 'getting the optics right,' highlighting the contrast between appearance and reality in political communication. Additionally, the narrative touches on the heightened tensions between the media and the political establishment, particularly during events such as the CPAC, reflecting on the complicated dynamics and responsibilities of news outlets in navigating truth and representation. The chapter underlines the crucial role of indigenous language news in this landscape, presumably aiming to bridge gaps in communication and provide accurate information across diverse linguistic communities.
• 27:00 - 34:00: Peru's Media Landscape This chapter delves into the media landscape in Peru, but begins with a commentary on former U.S. President Donald Trump's approach to the media. Trump is noted for his aggressive stance against the media, labeling it as 'fake news' and positioning it as an adversary. He effectively categorizes the media as the opposition party, portraying them as 'the enemy of the people.' This simplistic and unambiguous rhetoric has shaped perceptions of media relations, although it's situated within the broader context of Peru's media environment in the narrative.
• 34:00 - 43:00: Recruitment Video in Australia The chapter focuses on a scenario illustrating the relationship between administration and media outlets in the context of a specific event in Australia. In this event, the administration decides to personally select certain media outlets for an off-camera, no-recording briefing following a speech by Trump. This selection is notably made based on the perceived friendliness of these outlets towards the administration, highlighting a clear divide between certain media organizations and the administration. The chapter portrays the exclusion of certain mainstream media outlets such as Politico and Buzzfeed, while inviting others like the Washington Examiner and Breitbart News. The situation underscores the broader theme of media control and selective information dissemination in politics.

Is the media 'normalising' Donald Trump? - The Listening Post (Full) Transcription

• 00:00 - 00:30 I called the fake news the enemy of the people and they are growing disconnect between the American people El the media doesn't represent the people it never will represent the people and we're going to do something about sentence this white house does not seem to Value an independent press hello I'm Barbara Sarah and you're at the listening post here are some of the media stories that we're covering this week president Trump delivers a speech with no historyonics and no media
• 00:30 - 01:00 bashing and the TV pundits deliver a glowing verdict a nearly 20year long German surveillance campaign is uncovered the targets International journalists in Peru a brand new news show is broadcasting in one of the country's oldest languages and staff members at Australia's finance department star in their own recruitment video I'm just heading downstairs to my paleo pear and banana bread would you like to join me but probably shouldn't
• 01:00 - 01:30 quit the day job in the roller coaster relationship between the Trump White House and the mainstream media these past 10 days were particularly turbulent it started when President Trump took to the stage at the annual conservative political action conference or seac and doubl down on his characterization of the media as the quote enemy of the people then press secretary Sean Spicer stirred up a storm of controversy by kicking out a number of media Outlets including the the New York Times CNN
• 01:30 - 02:00 BuzzFeed and the BBC from a press briefing the reaction was instant headlines across the web print and TV proclaimed a new low in the government's war with the media then just four days later Trump addressed a joint session of Congress to announce Key budget proposals this Trump cut a very different figure to the Trump on stage at CPAC the Optics the tone the language they were sober and there was no baiting of the lying press again the reaction
• 02:00 - 02:30 was instant in much of the posts speech punditry Trump was lorded for his ability to be quote presidential watching the media pendulum swing wildly from one end to the other hints at how Trump became president in the first place for someone who claims to hate the media as much as he does he sure knows how to put on a show for them and he knows that they often can't or won't resist debate our starting point this week is Washington DC the listening posts minaki Ravi reports
• 02:30 - 03:00 two speeches two different settings one the annual Gathering of conservatives CPAC and the other a joint session of the houses of Congress the underlying message wasn't all that different I will never ever apologize for protecting the Safety and Security of the American people won't do it Our obligation is to serve protect protect and defend the
• 03:00 - 03:30 citizens of the United States but the media reaction to the two speeches was different CPAC was the more raw Donald Trump The Joint session of the Congress was more refined as you saw one speech Trump gives in the in the Congress every paper says oh how presidential the president look and begins to soften its critical Edge he became president of the United States in that moment tonight Donald Trump became the president of the United
• 03:30 - 04:00 States it was dare I say presidential this was so presidential very presidential he sounded presidential and look presidential American journalism at this moment is simply tired of this combative status that he has created they want to normalize Trump they want to allow for the office of presidency to overcome the strangeness of this this occupant the media's eagerness to L the president for looking the part was strange in and of itself after all
• 04:00 - 04:30 getting the Optics right is one of the easiest parts of the job what made the on air praise stranger was that much of the content of the speech didn't hold up to scrutiny in multiple fact checks published after the posts speech punditry many of Trump's claims were assessed to be misleading or Flatout lies in the days just prior to the Congressional address tensions between the media and the White House had hit new highs in his speech at CPAC Trump
• 04:30 - 05:00 went at the media hard and I want you all to know that we are fighting the fake news it's fake phony fake Donald Trump has been very smart in how he has codified what the media are and I think that by arguing for their status as the opposition party they are the enemy of the people he's offered a very simplistic very clear a very unambiguous understanding of the fact that these two entities White House
• 05:00 - 05:30 Administration and the media are on opposite sides moreover on opposite sides against the United States public just hours after Trump gave his speech on Friday instead of doing his Daily Briefing with the entire White House Press Corp Sean Spicer said we're going to do a smaller get together it's going to be off camera no recording and we're not inviting everybody so Washington examiner Breitbart News one Amer News Network you guys are all friendly to us so you can come Politico Buzz feed New
• 05:30 - 06:00 York Times CNN you guys are not friendly so you guys can't come every White House has had Outlets that they feel are more friendly to them than other so that part is not new but what is what was surprising last week is that this is a level of access being cut off that we do not see every day if that Baseline level of access is cut off um you know what are news organizations to do the incident with Shaun spice first of all I must say I welcome it it created a combative
• 06:00 - 06:30 confrontational uh face Toof face between the White House and uh and the Press Court this is necessary otherwise you have a polite kind of a understanding and a relationship between the press and the the White House I was sorely tempted to wear a tan suit today this is not healthy for journalism at or for those media Outlets seeking to recast themselves as aggressive interrogators of the powerful how about the president's statements kellyan how about the president's statements that
• 06:30 - 07:00 are false their past Behavior their histories have an irritating habit of coming back into view breaking news and welcome back you were looking at live pictures Donald Trump appearing before a full house in debuk CNN which along with the New York Times has become one of Trump's favorite media punching bags spent much of the runup to the presidential election filling its airtime with the Trump Campion circus watching that live CNN has acknowledged some failing such as airing his rallies live when other candidates weren't given
• 07:00 - 07:30 this sort of accommodation given this sort of luxury Donald Trump often you know could air for 40 minutes to an hour live on CNN his claims often uh erroneous were not being fact checked there is an irony to to Trump's demonizing of CNN not only because of the amount of coverage CNN devoted to him during the primary but also because of the Rapport that he previously enjoyed with Jeff Zucker the president of CNN it was Zucker who helped put Trump on the air uh you know through The
• 07:30 - 08:00 Apprentice CNN wasn't alone in not taking him seriously during the primary we better be ready for the fact that he might be leading the Republican ticket next I know you don't believe that but I want to go on toew and I think a lot of the news media you know could still reckon with how they handled him before but regardless of that they have to hold him accountable now in just over a month of the Trump presidency his battle with the media has been one of the main subjects of Main news coverage journalists always love a
• 08:00 - 08:30 story with well-defined heroes and villains and in this tale they have a starting room I think one of the first things to point out is that it's an uncomfortable position for the press to feel like they have become one of the protagonists in this story that's not really a role that most journalists Embrace comfortably but it's become kind of unavoidable now trust in the media is low in the US uh but Donald Trump's approval ratings are also very low so you're kind of talking about two unpopular entities uh going at
• 08:30 - 09:00 it the media has failed on two interrelated but separate level one is at the level of critical thinking they don't have a Critical Agenda they don't have a critical awareness of what actually caused uh this backlash and the election of Donald Trump as the president the other aspect is the nature of this Beast this uh social media this 247 uh production of news and you have
• 09:00 - 09:30 an entirely impatient uh audience and they have a knee-jerk pavlovian reaction to any tweet that uh Trump sent these are structural issues and at this stage almost a month into or more into his uh his presidency The Establishment media is lagging far behind it has not structurally adjusted itself to the nature of this Beast I haven't seen yet the kind of of close Naval gazing uh
• 09:30 - 10:00 among the media that will produce wide ranging changes um in how the media practice their news Gathering activities America's got to get behind them we've certainly seen some new beats stationing Personnel in the the so-called flyover zones in the Rust Belt these are good things but there haven't been enough and they should be they should be far more widespread than what we've seen to date over the next uh how many more weeks months years the critical task of
• 10:00 - 10:30 Journalism is to study this man carefully and see how his mind works because he has his hand on the pulse of this nation so far as the New Media is concerned understanding decoding and combating that particular mode of communication of which he he a master is the critical task ahead of us
• 10:30 - 11:00 other media stories on our radar this week a nearly two decade long International spying operation conducted by the German intelligence service the B and D has come to light and journalists from around the world have been on the list of targets the story was broken by the German news magazine D spegel reporters wrote that they had seen documents with a list of at least 50 telephone and fax numbers and email addresses of foreign journalists and news rooms included in the list were
• 11:00 - 11:30 satellite numbers belonging to the New York Times and dritter both in Afghanistan the BBC's London headquarters and news outlets in Zimbabwe Kuwait Lebanon and India Germany has strict laws about surveillance of citizens but a piece of legislation relating specifically to the BN D that was passed in October mentions no protections for the confidentiality of journalistic communications the editor of one of turkey's biggest newspapers huret has resigned after a
• 11:30 - 12:00 barage of criticism of a headline that appeared in his paper the headline an at the Army Headquarters was published on the inside pages of the February 25th edition of huret it drew fire from a number of Turkish politicians including president erdogan whose criticism aired on live [Music] TV
• 12:00 - 12:30 for the paper initially apologized for its use of the word anise saying the headline was intended to refer to the Army's internal politics not any tension with the government but as criticism mounted and editor sedat Erin handed in his resignation the paper issued a follow-up saying the allegation that the peace was a coup provocation incited a Lynch campaign the incident itself will
• 12:30 - 13:00 leave an imprint in people's memories as one of the most extreme examples of the unlimited state of slander in Turkey the media climate in turkey has been on a knife edge since July last year when Rebel soldiers attempted to overthrow the government the Army which has been under increased scrutiny issued a statement distancing itself from hur's Headline over the past month protesters in the West African country of Togo have been demonstrating against a Crackdown
• 13:00 - 13:30 on media freedom things turned violent over the last weekend Security Forces used tear gas batons and Firearms to break up journalists and civil activists who were protesting the sudden closure of TV station lend and City FM radio station both Outlets have links to a former Minister who fell out of favor with the government the country's media regulator said the frequencies of both Outlets were withdrawn because they had f failed to obtain the correct licenses
• 13:30 - 14:00 when they started broadcasting about a decade ago the human rights Watchdog Amnesty International called the license withdrawal a disproportionately heavy measure and said that alongside intimidation of journalists by Security Forces this represents a worsening situation for journalists in Togo in over a decade of the listening post we have covered many media stories out of Latin America we've watched read
• 14:00 - 14:30 clicked on and listened to media in either Spanish or Portuguese but a couple of months ago One News Bulletin started airing out of Peru and we couldn't understand a word that's because nanik or us broadcasts entirely in a language called Keta with around 8 million speakers across the South American continent and 133% of the Peruvian population itself fluent in the language Keta is the most widely spoken
• 14:30 - 15:00 indigenous language in the Americas and its appearance on Peru's public broadcaster Canal Peru is being seen as a significant moment in the country's media history because while Keta is an official language in Peru it carries the burden of the country's Colonial Legacy Keta speakers are often although not always from marginalized communities living in poverty with little access to education or the national economy the listening posts Marcela pizaro traveled to Lima and spoke with the journalists
• 15:00 - 15:30 behind nanik switch on the TV in Peru tune in to any of the big radio stations open up a national newspaper and the information citizens will get the information they need will be in a language that many of them might not understand Spanish to months ago however the Peruvian public
• 15:30 - 16:00 broadcaster aired a new show that broke the mold the news was being broadcast in Gua an indigenous language one that many of its speakers would prefer to deny in a country where the language you speak marks your class highlights your economic status and defines your prospects the very fact that this program is being broadcast means that
• 16:00 - 16:30 ketua speakers will lift their heads up and will be better informed and they will no longer be ashamed of speaking KET our language was seen as an embarrassment it was frowned upon and we were looked down on the significance of this News broadcasting ketua is that it recognizes the fact that this is a multicultural multilingual multiethnic country
• 16:30 - 17:00 some people have complained they don't understand well my only response is that finally they get what it's like to be a Keta speaker in Peru watching the national news in your own country and not understanding because it's broadcast in a language that's not your own nanik does more than just broadcast in a different language The Producers say their mission is to reflect a different reality a perspective that isn't mainstream in Peru so while the morning news in Spanish might be
• 17:00 - 17:30 dominated by news on Lima Politics on Yanik a significant proportion of the news is sourced from remote locations there's a focus on the concerns of the farming population all this and reports on government policy just because the program is in catch it doesn't mean we're going to see
• 17:30 - 18:00 just folk music and dance these are important and valuable aspects of that culture but it's fundamental purpose is to address people's needs Spanish language news programs tend to favor stories that cover events in Lima or in other major cities whereas for CET speakers who live in rural areas stories on the weather reports on climate change may be more important new kic has a responsibility to report
• 18:00 - 18:30 on inequalities on the ground what does Big Business want what does the state say about those big projects what are they taking from our Earth what are we going to do with the profits from forests the wood it's our duty to tell these stories this is not the first time Peru State TV has Broadcast News in geta daal Lia was a news broadcast in the early' 70s that put ketra on TV for the first
• 18:30 - 19:00 time the program came about as part of blinka a nationwide agrarian reform campaign carried out by the left-wing military government of General Juan Velasco Alvarado Velasco declared in 1974 that there was quote no freedom of the press in Peru only freedom of Enterprises he reigned in what he saw as the elite media established guua as an official language and used the state
• 19:00 - 19:30 broadcaster to promote equal rights for indigenous groups a move derided as populist propaganda by his critics but celebrated by many across the country who felt they'd been ignored for centuries even though geta became one of Peru's official languages in 1975 and the more than four decades since it's really been given much airtime either on national TV or radio that means that those 4 million people
• 19:30 - 20:00 more than 10% of Peru's population whose first language is guua not Spanish have a hard time understanding the news the other side of this story has to do with narrative and those stereotypes that voices in the mainstream media apply to indigenous people that smack of racism and have provoked outrage in Peru and Beyond take laaa the peasant has show that claim to be a comedy about an andian indigenous
• 20:00 - 20:30 woman living in the capital Lima in the six years it was on air La bisana became so popular with its viewers that it got its own weekday prime time slot on fenia Latina one of Peru's biggest private TV channels there's hinta the Villager Elio The Peasant there's thousands of characters like that in the public eye at least today we've become more con erning but we used to laugh at them this
• 20:30 - 21:00 went on for years and nobody questioned it one of the Great Western myths is that hygiene is synonymous with civilization so by portraying a native Indian woman is unkempt you position her in a kind of premodern wilderness she is toothless dirty rough in Her speech and masculine in demeanor this idea of the native andian woman is reflected in news narratives because they always portray her as a victim and
• 21:00 - 21:30 this suggests that people like her are inadequate and ultimately unable to integrate into mainstream Society I've realized just how subtle how Insidious linguistic discrimination can be it's more complex and more serious than racial discrimination even because it works by association Spanish is associated with culture and Keta with ignorance
• 21:30 - 22:00 for the commercial players in Peru's media Market the getra audience hasn't even been an afterthought the language the community is scarcely represented on either private radio or TV in a media ecosystem that depends on ad Revenue the KRA segment of the audience simply doesn't qualify in terms of purchasing power or economic presence against that backdrop nuken is one of a kind obviously these issues made it very
• 22:00 - 22:30 difficult for ketu language programs to be produced for television if ketu speakers weren't going to purchase Goods there would be no advertising Revenue so that became a vicious cycle as public broadcasters we aren't so preoccupied with commercial matters our main concern is the public our language wasn't recognized by the world of Finance so it was hardly featured on television or radio we've broken that and prove that news can be
• 22:30 - 23:00 produced in our language Peru's National broadcaster has moved away from its old status as Government mouthpiece but it also differs from commercial TV where the media are talking at the viewer where the Public's opinions about policies that could affect them is not taken into consideration this is not the case on ukan so we have taken an important First Step but I can't say that we're providing a plat form in which power is being held to account with regards to
• 23:00 - 23:30 National political issues it could be in the future and that would be a great thing finally a recruitment video produced for Australia's Department of Finance is going viral but it's attracting a lot more laughter and ridicule than promising young graduates the video was produced by an ad agency called together creative and the idea was to recreate everyday work scenarios and show just how great it is to work at
• 23:30 - 24:00 the Department of Finance but instead of hiring actors the agency used actual staff members in the video and the results are pretty awkward as one marketing executive put it real people are terrible at playing real people the video is getting tens of thousands of views but they probably won't result in that many applications take a look we'll see you next time at the listening post I'm so stok for our presentation to the ex this afternoon it's been a massive
• 24:00 - 24:30 challenge but definitely looking forward to it hey guys I'm just heading downstairs for my paleo PE and banana bread would you like to join me hey Claire hi David I had a look at your report yesterday great stuff thanks we're all really looking forward to the grad presentation this AO thanks David no pressure or anything hey re I got this for you thanks David hey this year's grads are real game changers I've heard some fantastic reports about their work they certainly hit the ground running well actually I should say sprinting I've got two graduates working on projects in my division and they've just had such a great impact on the team
• 24:30 - 25:00 it's terrific feel really good about my part of the presentation with executive this afternoon there were heaps of good stuff and E learning which really helped me hey buddy sorry I got to do that every time it's because we're in the Buddy program have you had a run through of all the other grads yeah we had one yesterday at lunchtime Tom couldn't make it so we just Skyped him in but it all seems to be coming together now great can't wait to hear all about it good luck buddy see you [Music] um