Trump's Landslide Win Should be a Wake-up Call for the Media

It's time for the American people to demand journalists stop gaslighting them and start doing their jobs.

President-elect Donald Trump’s landslide victory should be a wake-up call to the mainstream media. While negative media coverage of Republicans has been happening for decades, the imbalance has worsened since Trump came on the scene. 

During the 2024 presidential election cycle, Trump received 85% negative coverage compared to 22% negative coverage of Vice President Kamala Harris, according to the latest study by the Media Research Center. Flip the math, and you’ll see that positive coverage for Harris was 78% vs. 15% for Trump. 

Trump’s historic comeback to become the 47th president of the United States signals a number of things that the media — and politicians —  should not ignore, but let’s focus on the media.

Photo by Library of Congress on Unsplash

I created this Substack because I got fed up with my profession’s bias. Some of you, like me, are old enough to remember when journalism was a respected profession and you could trust most reporters to deliver fair and balanced information. 

Growing up, my parents and grandparents subscribed to a daily newspaper, and the 6 and 10 o’clock news was part of our evening routine. This sparked my love for news and led me to become a journalist. 

However, things have changed. Media trust is a thing of the past. Now, most people turn to social media, podcasts, or news outlets that confirm their biases, which means fewer are using critical thinking skills to make their decisions.

Many of my former colleagues are among those who have desperately gaslighted Americans. They have tried their damndest to convince people that family values, such as protecting the life of the unborn, protecting children from transgender ideology, securing our borders, and plain commonsense, are unAmerican.

Journalists have blatantly lied to you to protect the liberal agenda. Pulitzers have been won for stories that are entirely false, including the Russia hoax against Trump. They have championed lawfare against the former president.

These same people told you inflation wasn’t that bad, while hardworking people continue to struggle to put food on the table. They say unemployment is low but don’t mention the high rates of those who have taken second or third jobs or the number of seniors who have been forced back into the workplace to try to make ends meet. 

On Nov. 5, the American people took to the polls in droves, pushing back against the media’s rhetoric and propaganda. Their voices are very clear. 

If the media heads are wise, they will pay attention and return to doing journalism as it was intended. 

News outlets need to get rid of reporters who are unable to put aside their personal biases to provide every side of a story. They need to stop allowing reporters to cite anonymous sources. They must stop pandering to politicians and the Hollywood elites. They must require reporters to investigate their stories and back up their claims with facts.

Lastly, and maybe most importantly, news outlets must stop allowing reporters to use their platform to editorialize and push an agenda. 

If the media can’t or won’t do their job, it’s time for the American people to say, “You’re fired!”