If this was an article with a headline that put Donald Trump in a positive light, many folks would just pass it over. But if you have a story to spin along the lines of bashing Trump for something that he's done, people seem to be very interested.
The New York Times suggests that despite all the complaints in the headlines about Trump, the media is in a "symbiotic relationship with him." The Times also suggests that it is not easy having a president who fancies himself an "authoritarian" while "denouncing journalists" as enemies to the masses.
Addicted to what?
With that said, Trump has given the media a new sense of mission which the Times' writer deems a "Trump bump." So how does this "Trump bump" work? It is very simple, every time Trump pounces on the media, their subscriptions go up. The more Trump points the finger at the media for "fake news," the more the masses scramble to read what is in that fake news.
In an oped for @NYTimes, @NickKristof writes that America is “collectively addicted” to Trump.
— Stephanie Ruhle (@SRuhle) May 7, 2018
On covering the president, he says “we have to distinguish between what is truly important for the country versus what just is a car wreck.” @MSNBChttps://t.co/gttx1wddvn
The writer of this Trump addiction article, Nicholas Kristof, was critiqued by President Trump at one time: "Crackpot Krisitofff is the WORST lying reporter at the FAILING NYTimes EVER!!!”)." Apparently, the writer's name was spelled wrong at the time.
It is Kristof himself who quotes Trump's criticism of him.
Story in America
With all this said, Kristof still has a concern that the media is collectively addicted to Trump. He suggests that Trump "truly is THE story in America today." He also admits that he too is addicted to Trump. Kristof also confesses that he, along with the rest of the participants of the media, complain about Trump being "insular and parochial." But by doing so they have "become insular and parochial as well."
President's news means mega-readers
The negativity around Trump has been lucrative when it comes to bringing in the readers and listeners to the news.
A headline that points out an accomplishment is not one that tends to go viral when it comes to Trump. It is a headline that bashes Trump (whether he deserves it or not) that tends to come out ahead.
Some of the headlines today do seem to point to an addiction to Trump. Much like the headline today from CNN, which toys with readers about something Trump does as much as 20 times a day.
Without divulging in the headline just what it is Trump does, they entice the reader to read a bit more about what the article has to offer.
What does he do 20 times a day?
The CNN headline offers the tease, "Donald Trump does 1 thing at least 20 times a day." The article then states that since Robert Mueller took his place as special counsel for this Russian probe Trump has "complained, kvetched, vented about the Mueller probe approximately 7,240 times."
In the article's next line, it does admit that this may be somewhat "exaggerated" and this was just an estimate regarding the number of times that Trump has vented about the FBI raids on Michael Cohen. This raid on Trump's personal attorney is mentioned by Trump in a venting sort of way as much as "20 times a day," cites CNN.
Relieving yourself up to seven times a day?
CNN wraps up their article by offering more comparisons. They cite how the average person checks their phone 46 times a day, which is much more than the reported number of times that the president is witnessed venting about Mueller.
They also offer the stats for the average person having to relieve themselves as a number that falls between 4 to 7 times a day, which is much less than Trump's venting. Yes, this is news...and as the New York Times suggests, it looks as though it is all part of the addiction the media has to Trump.
