Reflecting on my adopted country’s recent Presidential Election, won by novice politician Donald Trump – I’m reminded of how the American media attacked the rise of the late U.S. President Ronald Reagan (1981-1989), in 1980.
As a young reporter, I was frustrated with journalism ethics during a Presidential Election. Every day the media report was much negative for Reagan, and much positive for then President Jimmy Carter (1976-1980).
Reagan went on to squash Jimmy Carter with 489 Electoral College votes, to 49 for Jimmy Carter. I guess I wasn’t alone among an overwhelming distrustful public in the American media. This time, Donald Trump defeated Hilary Clinton by 306 to 239 Electoral College votes, despite an overwhelming bias media coverage favoring Clinton.
The rise of President-elect Donald Trump from obscurity slams the U.S. media big boys in the face. These are the likes of CNN, New York Times, New York Post, Washington Post, CBS, ABC, CNBC, USA Today, US News & World Report, and large newspapers in U.S. cities.
Media Lies Continued after Election Day
These powerful journalism companies were also powered by erroneous political polling results. Over 90% of the political polls favored Hilary Clinton. Political experts were also trumpeting a Clinton “land-slide” victory. But they were all forced to eat their words on November 8th, election day.
How then did the entire American media lie to the American public for a year and half? They repeated over and over how Hilary Clinton is winning the election. It was like the coronation of Queen Hilary because she was entitled to it as in a monarchy.
The communists’ manifesto of “Tell lies often enough, and it will become the truth” was working here in America. Even beyond November 9th when these American media big players woke up with spoiled eggs in their faces: Donald Trump had won. The media continued their unethical quest to coronate Hilary Clinton.
The media lies continued to fuel anti-Trump demonstrations in big cities around America where Clinton won the popular votes. President Barrack Obama did not address the rioting caused by the demonstrations; Hilary Clinton went hiding while rioters looted, burned, and damage properties, interrupted traffic flow, until they grew tired, and they all went home as sore losers.
Next, the media trumpeted a failed voters recount by one of the failed candidates of the Green Party, Dr. Jill Stein. Hilary Clinton moved over and supported this failed effort from the get go. Dr. Stein raised $7 million in less than a week, mostly from Democrat sore losers.
Votes Recount, Electoral College Attacks, Blame Russian Hacking
The American media crowd moved over and pounded this dead horse like hyenas scavenging a discarded kill down to bare bones. The recount ended with Donald Trump picking up more votes than Clinton.
Next, President Obama jumped into the fray, and blamed the Russians for hacking into America’s voting system. He claimed it did influence the election in Trump’s favor. Hilary Clinton’s failed campaign people threw their support on this failed attempt as well. It worked up the media into a frenzy until it, too, lost steam.
No proof was ever discovered except accusations of Russian spying, which is something the American CIA does to the Russians as well. But December 19th arrived, and Electoral College voters were required to cast their votes to certify Donald Trump’s presidency.
The American media moved on to trumpet a revolt among the Electoral College voters. Hollywood actors and actresses joined in with TV advertisements urging Electoral College voters to deny Donald Trump the presidency. The popular news headlines: Trump Wins Electoral College Amid Nationwide Protests.
No national protests materialize on December 19th and Electoral College Electors officially confirmed Donald Trump is America’s next President. But the media are now drumming up a January 20 Inauguration Day protest. Like many Americans who voted for Trump, I am tired of the media telling me how to think.
(Sione A. Mokofisi is a syndicated journalist living in Tonga. He’s Editor of Niuvākai – Tongan Investigator, and Director of English, Journalism at Tonga International Academy, Havelu, Tongatapu. He holds a MBA from the University of Phoenix-Arizona; BS from BYU-Hawaii. E-mail: editor_niuvakai@yahoo.com).