In fact, Trump's coronavirus disinformation has already been directly linked to at least one death in this country. Nonetheless, many news outlets aired Wednesday's briefing live as they have been doing for weeks now. CNN promo’ed Wednesday's briefing far in advance and then carried the entire thing live. MSNBC did worse, actually, airing Trump’s falsities and then cutting away when the scientists started talking.
Here’s the type of thing MSNBC thought was important for people to see.
Pro Tip: Trump’s deranged paranoia isn’t news—it’s the norm. No one needs to see the “Trump unhinged” show live and in real time. His ranting and falsities and half-baked ideas can all be repackaged for consumption in a journalistically responsible way.
But airing Trump’s briefings in real time only adds more chaos and confusion to a national crisis that is already fraught with danger. Our media must do better if they have any intention of being a force for good during this extremely trying time in our nation’s history.
Sign the petition: Trump is lying about coronavirus. Networks must stop airing his press conferences.
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