Donald Trump and the 4th Estate

Donald Trump is complaining that the MSM are biased against him, and cites as his evidence the voluminous reports fact-checking him (i.e. pointing out his lies) and calling his personal behavior reprehensible and unworthy of a presidential candidate.

Which raises the question: what does he WANT from the media?  Unfiltered repeating of his statements, without fact checking?  Turning a blind eye to his sexual assaults and his calling for assassinations, riots and violence at the polling stations?  His bragging about the size of his penis?  His laughable "doctor's statement"?

There was a time, before Fox "News", when the media was considered the 4th estate, a valuable check on power and politics.  Reporters were supposed to fact check, they were supposed to uncover Watergates, they were supposed to be counterbalances to eccentric spin which leads to instability.

I'm not sure Trump's attack on the media is raising the right questions, exposing the extent to which some "news" outlets are shirking the duty that comes with leasing the public airwaves. The MSM needs to "own" this claim, and point out that anything less is dishonest news. "Fair and balanced" does not mean equal time for lies and bigotry.

That's a discussion that need to be had.

Such irony.

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But, now, with his defeat all but certain, Trump is conjuring for his followers demons that conspire to destroy them and the nation.