Critics warned last month that the media must not normalize or roll over for Trump. (Photo: Getty)
Dec 21, 2016
Almost half of the people who voted for President-elect Donald Trump say they support taking legal steps to make it easier to sue the media, according to a new poll.
The survey, conducted by Morning Consult for the Washington, D.C.-based public relations firm Glover Park, found that 49 percent of self-identified Trump supporters say the courts should change libel laws in a way that would allow public figures to sue news outlets for unfavorable or allegedly false coverage.
Only 29 percent said they were against such a move, while 22 percent said they weren't sure.
It's a sign that Trump's supporters are continuing to follow his lead, despite evidence of him breaking many of his populist campaign promises. Throughout the election, and even after his win, Trump repeatedly referred to the press as "dishonest," "corrupt," and "unfair."
"One of the things I'm going to do if I win, and I hope we do and we're certainly leading. I'm going to open up our libel laws so when they write purposely negative and horrible and false articles, we can sue them and win lots of money," Trump said in February during a rally.
"So when the New York Times writes a hit piece--which is a total disgrace--or when the Washington Post, which is there for other reasons, writes a hit piece, we can sue them and win money instead of having no chance of winning because they're totally protected," he said.
Trump also criticized the media for "inciting" anger against his win after protests erupted across the U.S. to express outrage at his election. Many fear that his rise to power threatens freedom of the press and expression worldwide.
Despite his antagonistic relationship with the press, on Sunday, Trump hosted journalists for drinks and off-the-record comments at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida.
Critics warned last month that the media must not normalize or roll over for Trump, but instead respond with "some dignity and return aggression," as Intercept journalist Glenn Greenwald put it. However, it seems some outlets have already started to submit.
For Trump and many of his supporters, even that may not be enough.
An Unconstitutional Rampage
Trump and Musk are on an unconstitutional rampage, aiming for virtually every corner of the federal government. These two right-wing billionaires are targeting nurses, scientists, teachers, daycare providers, judges, veterans, air traffic controllers, and nuclear safety inspectors. No one is safe. The food stamps program, Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid are next. It’s an unprecedented disaster and a five-alarm fire, but there will be a reckoning. The people did not vote for this. The American people do not want this dystopian hellscape that hides behind claims of “efficiency.” Still, in reality, it is all a giveaway to corporate interests and the libertarian dreams of far-right oligarchs like Musk. Common Dreams is playing a vital role by reporting day and night on this orgy of corruption and greed, as well as what everyday people can do to organize and fight back. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover issues the corporate media never will, but we can only continue with our readers’ support. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Nadia Prupis
Nadia Prupis is a former Common Dreams staff writer. She wrote on media policy for Truthout.org and has been published in New America Media and AlterNet. She graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a BA in English in 2008.
Almost half of the people who voted for President-elect Donald Trump say they support taking legal steps to make it easier to sue the media, according to a new poll.
The survey, conducted by Morning Consult for the Washington, D.C.-based public relations firm Glover Park, found that 49 percent of self-identified Trump supporters say the courts should change libel laws in a way that would allow public figures to sue news outlets for unfavorable or allegedly false coverage.
Only 29 percent said they were against such a move, while 22 percent said they weren't sure.
It's a sign that Trump's supporters are continuing to follow his lead, despite evidence of him breaking many of his populist campaign promises. Throughout the election, and even after his win, Trump repeatedly referred to the press as "dishonest," "corrupt," and "unfair."
"One of the things I'm going to do if I win, and I hope we do and we're certainly leading. I'm going to open up our libel laws so when they write purposely negative and horrible and false articles, we can sue them and win lots of money," Trump said in February during a rally.
"So when the New York Times writes a hit piece--which is a total disgrace--or when the Washington Post, which is there for other reasons, writes a hit piece, we can sue them and win money instead of having no chance of winning because they're totally protected," he said.
Trump also criticized the media for "inciting" anger against his win after protests erupted across the U.S. to express outrage at his election. Many fear that his rise to power threatens freedom of the press and expression worldwide.
Despite his antagonistic relationship with the press, on Sunday, Trump hosted journalists for drinks and off-the-record comments at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida.
Critics warned last month that the media must not normalize or roll over for Trump, but instead respond with "some dignity and return aggression," as Intercept journalist Glenn Greenwald put it. However, it seems some outlets have already started to submit.
For Trump and many of his supporters, even that may not be enough.
Nadia Prupis
Nadia Prupis is a former Common Dreams staff writer. She wrote on media policy for Truthout.org and has been published in New America Media and AlterNet. She graduated from UC Santa Barbara with a BA in English in 2008.
Almost half of the people who voted for President-elect Donald Trump say they support taking legal steps to make it easier to sue the media, according to a new poll.
The survey, conducted by Morning Consult for the Washington, D.C.-based public relations firm Glover Park, found that 49 percent of self-identified Trump supporters say the courts should change libel laws in a way that would allow public figures to sue news outlets for unfavorable or allegedly false coverage.
Only 29 percent said they were against such a move, while 22 percent said they weren't sure.
It's a sign that Trump's supporters are continuing to follow his lead, despite evidence of him breaking many of his populist campaign promises. Throughout the election, and even after his win, Trump repeatedly referred to the press as "dishonest," "corrupt," and "unfair."
"One of the things I'm going to do if I win, and I hope we do and we're certainly leading. I'm going to open up our libel laws so when they write purposely negative and horrible and false articles, we can sue them and win lots of money," Trump said in February during a rally.
"So when the New York Times writes a hit piece--which is a total disgrace--or when the Washington Post, which is there for other reasons, writes a hit piece, we can sue them and win money instead of having no chance of winning because they're totally protected," he said.
Trump also criticized the media for "inciting" anger against his win after protests erupted across the U.S. to express outrage at his election. Many fear that his rise to power threatens freedom of the press and expression worldwide.
Despite his antagonistic relationship with the press, on Sunday, Trump hosted journalists for drinks and off-the-record comments at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida.
Critics warned last month that the media must not normalize or roll over for Trump, but instead respond with "some dignity and return aggression," as Intercept journalist Glenn Greenwald put it. However, it seems some outlets have already started to submit.
For Trump and many of his supporters, even that may not be enough.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.