Without question, Donald Trump is the most talked about man in America right now. His constant tirade of insults, criticisms and lofty promises has every major media network buzzing. In turn, the Republican presidential debates have seen record high numbers lately. But how does this man, who constantly berates the media for its dishonesty, garner so much attention? In this week’s Wrap, we’re analyzing the unique, love-hate relationship between Donald Trump and the media.
CBS chairman and CEO Les Moonves admitted to a profound truth this week: “Trump may not be good for America, but it’s damn good for CBS.” Although media networks like Fox News and CNN haven’t been as explicit in their “praise” of Mr. Trump, Moonves’ sentiment certainly resounds throughout the other major networks. Trump stories across all networks are responsible for garnering huge amounts of traffic. Trump is almost a one-man media network himself. His Twitter account boasts more than 6.5 million followers, which exceeds the follower numbers of CBS News.
Trump certainly knows how to use the media to his advantage, just like the media uses him to theirs. Throughout the race, he has given the media no reason to ignore him, as they may otherwise have, soon after he came down the escalator at Trump Tower. Trump knows, better than anyone else in the race, the real way to keep his name in the forefront of voters’ minds is to stay in the tabloids. As a result, Trump’s rhetoric has been likened to that of Father Coughlin, P.T. Barnum and even the early speeches of Adolf Hitler. But could the American people, and even Trump himself, learn a lesson from the Donald Trump of the 1930s, J.R. Brinkley? It may be worth noting right here, that if an outsider doesn’t win the nomination outright, the insiders will get what they want in the event of a brokered convention.
Remember this summer, when Donald Trump wasn’t even considered a serious candidate? Although he still gained attention, few people thought he posed a serious threat. Journalists are now coming to grips with just how wrong their predictions were. Trump may have a mixed record as a businessman, but his deft skill as a TV performer is something the media grossly underestimated. Now, the press realizes the legitimate possibility of Trump winning the Republican nomination.
How do you think the media has contributed to Trump’s rise? Leave us a comment below!
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Sam Bojarski is an associate at WordWrite Communications. He can be reached at sam.bojarski@wordwritepr.com.
