US president Donald trump has lashed out at a Times essay by anonymous writer that works for Trump administration. The writer calls Trump as reckless and rash and temperamental impulsive decision maker.
Trump has called the Op Ed as “gutless”, meaning cowardly and lacking vitality. Gutless the word is perhaps the first time a sitting president has used to attack the media. Gutless is a justifiable word. This is a democratically elected president given a mandate by its people regardless of why and how they voted for him. This is about respecting or insulting the people who elected their leader. Media is a messenger and it should not become a message in itself. Media becomes a propaganda machine when it tries to become message in itself.
Similarly, at fault has been the Watergate and Nixon related hero Bob Woodward of Washington Post, of All the Presidents Men fame. He did great reporting on Watergate with help of the Deep Throat. But he has written so many books on so many presidents that his new book on Trump seem like another effort to capitalize on old flame of ancient fifty years ago. His claims that many insiders of Trump Administration come to his office and feed him of stories on how reckless and unefficient Trump is.
Democrats, his opposition in politics are worried that Trump is popular among white voters and may win 2018 midterm US election and almost change the shape of US Supreme court for generations to come by new judicial appointments. And most of the media also does not like that.
Whatever faults Trump may have, but he has the charm to impress voters and subdue opponents within and outside his party. That should be respected and accepted by media regardless of what media owners may think.
Watching this fight between Trump and popular US media, Indian media can perhaps learn a lesson or two. Narendra Modi, the Prime Minister was elected by mandate of voters of India. Few left thinking or Naxal think tanks do not decide the fate of India saying Modi is a totalitarian. Let the electorate decide. And let the messenger stay messenger in India also. Message is decided by people, by vote when time comes.
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