Letter to the Editor – In response to: The Daily Titan responds to President Donald Trump’s anti-press rhetoric

In a Daily Titan editorial from Aug. 27, the editorial staff lamented President Donald Trump’s anti-press rhetoric in his press conferences, campaign rallies and Twitter rants on social media. The editors assume that Trump opposes a free press as well as free speech, and that he is dividing the country.  

It’s too late for that. Americans unite in the face of human-created or natural disasters, but they’ve always been independent regarding the exchange of ideas.

The editorial also forgot to point out that Trump doesn’t rail against all of the electronic and print media outlets, but rather those outlets that churn out fake news. Indeed, apart from Fox News and much of talk radio, most formats are slanted toward the liberal side of the political spectrum. Although that is the owners’ right, others have an equal right to call them out on this obvious bias.

While there are some credible journalists in the media, far too many news formats have morphed into opinion panels instead of impartial arbiters of the truth based on heavy lifting reporting. Informed readers and viewers find that the vast majority of established media “news” stories generate a negative tone toward Trump’s ideas and initiatives, and often distort his record.

This just does not pass the smell test when a wide variety of domestic and foreign policy issues are covered. It would appear that even if Trump were a saint, the left would still find bad things to say about the positive facets of his agenda. He did not take the oath of office to be popular, but rather to change course and steer the ship of state in a constructive direction.

It is the duty of reporters to report the news in as objective a manner as possible without bias from across the political domain. If they fail in their duties, American voters will sense it: voters are much savvier than the elites in established institutions realize. Moreover, the voters don’t need pundits to tell them what is best for them.

Trump would have little need to criticize most of the media if journalists would show a semblance of fairness toward him. They don’t have to fawn all over him as they do toward a celebrity or liberal politician, but at least display some respect for his efforts and for the office of president.

Indeed, liberals often proclaim that they value diversity, inclusion and justice in their human relations. But do they really? Or do they merely cherish these ideals when interacting with people who fit into their own cookie-cutter worldview?

Chris Milord

Cal State Fullerton alumnus