The cable news networks reminded us again this weekend that the more things change, the more they stay the same.
Viewers hoping that the corporate media had finally learned its lesson after nearly a decade of Trumpian manipulation likely came away from the Sunday shows disappointed, as anchors across the political spectrum devoted almost all of their time to breathlessly cataloguing Donald Trump’s unhinged list of political nominations.
That was especially true over on “Meet the Press,” where anchor Kristen Welker seemed practically giddy while describing Trump’s plan to “shake up” (destroy) the federal government.
Lost in the froth was any context for why Trump’s nominees are so dangerous—and why increasingly alarmed Senate Republicans could pose unexpected headaches for Trump’s latest picks. Also invisible? Democrats, who are back to begging for a sliver of media attention as they begin the challenging process of rebuilding their party after last month’s disastrous election.
Here are some of the stories that didn’t make the cut, and why it matters that the media chose to ignore them.
The new press
While CNN’s Sunday “Newsroom” focused its coverage on . . . winter storm warnings across New England, what was absent from the media’s weekend coverage? Another warning from the Trump administration that the era of corporate journalism is coming to an end.
Trump could soon be shaking up the White House Briefing Room in a way that amplifies MAGA sycophants and podcast bros while booting traditional reporters out the back door.
“Both the strategy and the press briefing room will likely look a whole lot more like the media consumption habits of the American voters of today versus the 1980s,” a Trump official told Politico. “I could very well see a press briefing room where Maggie Haberman sits next to Joe Rogan.” Ah yes, trusted fact-based reporter Joe Rogan.
That’s bad news for the Beltway press, which has tried its best to coddle Trump in an effort to preserve its White House access. But that strategy seems to have backfired entirely. Unfortunately for the American people, that drama is largely playing out behind the scenes. Not a single cable news network thought Trump’s proposed historic media shake-up merited coverage.
Worst of the rest
The Washington media-industrial complex is gearing up for a return of its “All Trump All the Time” strategy, and that means we can say goodbye to serious coverage of political developments in the states. That’s a blessing for Republicans in state legislatures across the country, because they’re gearing up to aid the incoming Trump administration’s effort to abolish the Department of Education.
With all eyes on the White House, state lawmakers will have free reign to enact a new wave of far-right legislation from the safety of the media shadows. That stretches beyond just undermining public education in America. Multiple states are gearing up for another swing at restricting abortion rights and limiting access to medical care for transgender children.
That may not be interesting to the corporate cable news executives who determine what you see and hear on the airwaves, but it matters a lot to the families whose lives will soon be upended by a wave of unchecked Republican legal terrorism. What the American people need now is a media capable of walking and chewing gum at the same time. Right now, they’re failing at both.
Do you have a story that the media missed? Share it with me on Bluesky and it could appear in next week’s roundup!
