Veteran political journalist and commentator Jeff Greenfield says cable news’ decision to live broadcast Donald Trump’s presidential campaign rallies reminds him of Cuba under the dictatorship of Fidel Castro.
Sunday on CNN’s “Reliable Sources,” Greenfield said that the news media, cable news in particular, have been irresponsible in their coverage of the Republican front-runner.
He said Trump’s mega rallies, notorious for their unpredictable and combustible atmosphere, should not be carried live and “unvetted” for long segments “where all you hear is Trump speak.”
“That becomes almost like State TV,” said Greenfield. “That’s what like happens when Fidel used to speak … I think the desire to have him on and the unpreparedness of so many of the people interviewing him will stand for a long time as a serious black mark on the American press.”
In the current media environment, upended by the Internet and an endlessly fractured audience, journalists and TV news producers have grappled with how to fairly cover Trump, who generates ratings and page views, despite being, as some journalists say, dishonest and immune to fact-checking.
It’s a dynamic Trump is aware of and seems eager to exploit.
“I go on one of these shows and the ratings double, they triple,” Trump said in a recent interview with Time magazine. “And that gives you power.”
