Contrasting Coverage: Trump's Tax Returns

In this weeks post, I will be comparing two articles published within the same hour! One article was published by Fox News and the other published by CNN. Both articles are discussing the recent decision by the Supreme Court declining to prevent the turnover of Trump's tax records to a New York prosecutor. Although both articles are discussing the recent decision by the Supreme Court, they use very different language, quotes, and tones when guiding their readers through the facts.

The headline of the article published by Fox News reads, "Trump: Supreme Court tax return decision a 'continuation of the greatest political witch hunt'. The Supreme Court declined to step in to halt the turnover of his tax records to Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr." The article begins by explaining that former President Donald Trump slammed the Supreme Court for declining to halt the turnover of his tax records, calling it "a continuation of the greatest political Witch Hunt in the history of our Country." The article then goes on to explain that Trump's tax records are not supposed to become public as part of a prosecutor's criminal investigation, but the high court's decision is a blow to Trump because he has for so long, and fought on so many fronts to keep his tax records shielded from view. Fox news then goes on to mainly discuss Trump's opinion on the matter, using a variety of different quotes from Trump. The article explains that Trump, in a statement Monday, slammed investigations that plagued his presidency, including former Special Counsel Robert Mueller's probe, which he called the "never ending $32 million Mueller hoax where there was a finding of 'No Collusion,'" and the "two ridiculous 'Crazy Nancy' inspired impeachment attempts where I was found NOT GUILTY." The article is mainly full of Donald Trump quotes, and lacks actual investigation into the facts. The end of the article is much of the same, but this quote they chose to highlight stuck out to me. The former president said that "the new phenomenon of 'headhunting' prosecutors and AGs- who try to take down their political opponents using the law as a weapon- is a threat to the very foundation of our liberty."

The headline of the CNN article is less theatrical and reads, "Supreme Court allows release of Trump tax returns to NY prosecutor." The beginning of the article discusses facts of the case and states how the Supreme Court cleared the way for a New York prosecutor to obtain former President Donald Trump's tax returns, dealing a massive loss to Trump who has fiercely fought to shield his financial papers from prosecutors. The article expresses that the ruling is a bitter loss for Trump, even if the tax records are shielded from public disclosure, after he consistently argues that the subpoena issued by the Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance was over-broad and issued in bad faith. Facts about the case are discussed by the article, describing that the subpoenas span documents from January 2011 to August 2019, including Trump's tax returns. The documents relate to the Trump Organizations employment of Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen and hush money payment Cohen allegedly made to two women who claimed to have had extramarital affairs with Trump. 

Both articles discuss the same topic, but the way they do it is very different. The Fox News article is riddled with direct quotes from Trump and his allies, and actually discusses the facts of the case very little. The CNN article uses less quotes and more facts, describing the details surrounding the case and the history of Trump's fight against the release of this information. 

What do you think? Which article do you resonate with more? This will definitely be interesting to watch as this issue plays out, and I am sure the media will continue to give us contrasting coverage when it comes to topics like this. Stay Tuned!

Sources:

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-reacts-to-supreme-court-tax-return-decision-claims-continuation-of-the-greatest-political-witch-hunt

https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/22/politics/supreme-court-trump-taxes-vance/index.html

5 Facts About Fox News

For this post, I would like to further analyze a topic of that was brought to my attention in one of our discussion posts for this class. In our discussion topic on the State of the News Media- A Critical Analysis, Professor DeWitt posted a link to the Pew Journalism Project (PEJ) 2019 factsheets that highlight the "tectonic shifts" taking place in the news media. The Pew Journalism Project assesses the "State of the News Media" in terms of revenue, jobs, technology, content and consumer behavior. In this blog post, I would like to further touch on a factsheet that I found incredibly interesting as well as very relevant to the theme of my blog. The factsheet I will be referencing in this post is titled: Five Facts about Fox News. 

Fox News is an influential cable network that was launched by Rupert Murdoch in 1996. The network holds a unique place in the American media landscape, most particularly for those on the ideological right. While Democrats in the United States consume and trust a variety of media outlets for political news, no other sources comes close to matching the appeal of Fox News for Republicans. The factsheet summarizes 5 facts about Fox News and how Americans feel about it.

1. Around four-in-ten Americans trust Fox News. Nearly the same number distrust it.

Among all U.S adults, 43% say they trust Fox News for political and election news. At the same time, 40% of adults say they distrust Fox News.

2. Republicans trust Fox News more than any other outlet. Democrats distrust it more than any other outlet.

65% of Republicans say they trust Fox News for political and election news, and less than 1/3 of Republicans say they trust ANY other news organizations such as ABC, CBS, and NBC news. Among Democrats, 61% say they distrust Fox News for political news.

3. On an ideological scale, the average Fox News consumer is to the right of the average U.S. adult, but not as far to the right as audiences of some other news outlets.

4. People who cite Fox News as their main source of political news are older and more likely to be white than U.S. adults overall.

Americans ages 65 and older account for around four-in-ten of those who say their main source is Fox News (37%), compared with 21% of all adults. Around nine-in-ten who turn to Fox News (87%) identify their race and ethnicity as non-Hispanic white, compared with 65% of all adults.

5. Those who name Fox News as their main source of political news stand out in their views on key issues and people, including President Donald Trump.

63% of those whose main source of political and election news is Fox News said Trump is doing an excellent job responding to the coronavirus outbreak. 71% of those who cited fox news as their main source of political news gave Trump a "very warm rating" (between 76 and 100) on a feeling thermometer ranging from best feelings to worst feelings. 85% of those whose main source of political news is Fox News gave House Speaker Nancy Pelosi a very cold rating on the thermometer (between 0-24).

The political implication of this major trend is that republicans are almost solely relying on Fox News as their main media outlet. There is a huge difference on how people are getting their information in the United States, and it is polarized and dependent on whether people identify as republican or democrat, as well as race. While democrats gather their political news from a variety of different news outlets and sources, Republicans only go to one outlet: Fox News. This type of polarization and lack of diversity in the audiences of the media can lead to a lack of unbiased information, knowledge, and opinions among people who only get their news from one single source. These facts highlight the basis for this blog, and further add to the notion that the current political climate in the United States is very polarized. As a result, the news has also become a polarized medium, with coverages and opinions on political issues varying greatly from network to network, as well as in their audiences. 

Source:

https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2020/04/08/five-facts-about-fox-news/

Contrasting Coverage: The Impeachment

For this post, I chose the broad topic articles focused around Trump and the impeachment. I chose this topic simply because there is so much to choose from and you can really see the contrast in different articles written about him by different news organizations. The first article is written by Fox News and is titled: Trump will 'have a place in history' for Capitol riot but remains 'most popular figure' in GOP: Graham said he believes the GOP will come 'roaring back' in 2022. The second article is also discussing Trump's legacy and the GOP as well, but was written by NBC News. The second articles title reads: Liz Cheney calls on GOP to stop 'embracing' Trump ahead of Senate impeachment trial- "This is not something that we can simply look past or pretend didn't happen or try and move on." In this post, I would like to not only highlight the key differences in languages and tones used by the networks, but I would also like to highlight the use of framing in these articles. Framing involves choosing an organizing theme that emphasizes some aspects of a situation while downplaying other information in a story (Bennet, 2016, p.33). These articles both represent a complex situation that is reduced to two competing frames offered by leading politicians and can be depicted as them playing a political game where the goal is to win in support of the correct narrative.

The NBC article begins with Rep. Liz Cheney calling on her colleagues to cut off former President Donald Trump as his second impeachment trial is set to begin this week. Cheney is the third-ranking House Republican, and was one of 10 House Republicans to vote to impeach Trump last month for his role in the Capitol riots. Cheney was censured by her state party after the vote. The article includes a quote by Cheney saying, "We have to take a really hard look at who we are and what we stand for, what we believe in." The article goes on to express her opinion stating, "We have to be in a position where we can say we stand for principles, for ideals. We should not be embracing the former president." The article comments on House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy's meeting with Trump at Mar-a-Lago, and mentions that ever since this meeting, McCarthy has softened his language about Trumps role in the riot. The article ends with a quote by Cheney, "What we already know does constitute the greatest violation of his oath of office by any president in the history of the country," she said. "And this is not something we can simply look past or pretend didn't happen or try and move on. We've got to make sure this never happens again."

The Fox News article begins with a quote from Lindsey Graham stating that former President Donald Trump will "have a place in history" for his role leading up to the riot at the U.S. Capitol last month, but he still remains the "most popular figure" in the Republican party. The article explains how the South Carolina senator spoke on the impeachment effort against Trump on CBS' "Face the Nation," claiming that Republicans will view is as an "unconstitutional exercise" and that any trial will result in Trump's acquittal. Graham said that the longer it takes to get past impeachment, "the worse off for the country." Trump, who invited supporters to the nation's capital and told them the election could be overturned, did not commit a crime, according to Graham. Despite the Capitol riot, Graham said that Trump is still the face of the GOP and that his policies "served the country well." The article ends with Graham stating that Trump needs to "rehabilitate himself as a politician," and believes that the GOP will come "roaring back" in 2022. 

Both articles are expressing the view of politicians on Trump, the insurrection on the capitol, and the impeachment. Framing is in play in both articles because I believe the both express "how" we should feel. The first article screams at us to simply "move on" about the impeachment and highlights Trump's legacy. The second article pleads for us to hold him accountable, and bashes the GOP for continuing to embrace this man. I will let you guys decide what you think - or rather, let the articles decide for you! Again, simply put, both articles are encouraging different attitudes about the same subject and I believe Framing is in play in both of these. 

https://www.foxnews.com/politics/trump-impeachment-capitol-riot-most-popular-figure-gop-lindsey-graham

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/liz-cheney-calls-gop-stop-embracing-trump-ahead-senate-impeachment-n1256962

Contrasting Coverage: Marjorie Taylor Greene

 For this week's post, and for the following weeks to come, I will be picking a topic, event, person, or story to cover and showcase the differences in the ways the news networks broadcast them. The topic I have decided to cover for this week is the controversy surrounding GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and her social media posts. I will personally outline the details surrounding the story, and then show how Fox News and NBC broadcasted the story as well. I will point out key differences, as well as any similarities if there are any. Please feel free to comment and share any thoughts, feelings, or opinions you may have on the matter. 

To sum the story up, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is a woman who has been recently elected as the U.S representative for Georgia's 14th congressional district. She is a member of the Republican Party and enthusiastic Donald Trump Supporter, as well as an outspoken far-right conspiracy theorist. Many of her social media posts as well as her likes, favorites, and comments have worried members of the government and the public for some time now. In a 40-minute Youtube video posted in 2018, Greene unfurled a cascade of wild conspiracy theories and opinions on a variety of topics. She suggested that 9/11 was a hoax, former President Barack Obama was a Muslim, and the Clintons were guilty of murder. In a Facebook post, she claimed that a devastating wildfire that ravaged California was started by a "laser beam" from outer-space that was controlled by a Jewish banking family with connections to powerful Democrats. She also repeatedly claimed in multiple videos and social media posts that several school shootings were "false flags" perpetuated by government officials in an attempt to gain support for gun control laws. Most recently, she is best known for having endorsed a QAnaon conspiracy movement that claimed Mr. Trump was facing down a "shadowy cabal" of Democratic pedophiles. 

NBC News published an article on the rising concern amongst public officials as well as members of the public on her growing outbursts. The headline reads: "GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Green faces backlash over incendiary social media posts." The article discusses how Greene is facing a backlash after a CNN review of her Facebook page which showed that she had liked posts in recent years calling for violence against prominent Democrats while promoting extremist conspiracy theories. The article exposes that she had liked comments that said that "a bullet to the head would be quicker" than removing house speaker Nancy Pelosi and that "through removal or death, doesn't matter, as long as she [Pelosi] goes." The article goes on to denounce Greene's comments and describes the facing calls from fellow members of congress for her to resign over her spreading false information about the election and the Capitol riot. The article highlights the dilemma for Republican leaders, who for months have been unwilling to publicly rebuke or punish her in any way for her inflammatory statements. NBC discusses how republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy declined requests for comment, and goes on to explain that many in congress are suggesting McCarthy should strip Greene of her committee assignments. NBC wraps up the article with a tweet from Hilary Clintons twitter: "This woman should be on a watch list. Not in Congress."

Fox News also published a News Flash where Tucker Carlson discusses Marjorie Taylor Greene. The headline reads: "Tucker Carlson: The media wants you fixated on Marjorie Taylor Greene. You should ask why." This is followed by: "With all that's going on in our country, CNN and MSNBC are convinced a freshman GOP lawmaker is the greatest threat." Carlson goes on by stating "This week's enemy is freshman Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, who is apparently so dangerous that in the name of democracy, she must be expelled from congress. He discusses how she was elected with 75% of the vote, and that there is no question that her voters very much want her to represent them in Washington. He goes on to express his opinion that if cable news doesn't like your views, you have to leave congress. You don't actually have to harm anyone to lose your job. He wraps up his views on the matter by stating that "This new member of congress has barely even voted, but CNN says she has bad opinions. Therefore, she is the greatest threat we face."

Both of these networks covered this topic completely different. NBC calls for voters to be concerned and highlights why, whereas Fox News seems to mock the other networks' concern, and suggests she is the least of our worries. What do you think? Should we condemn and hold officials accountable of reckless speech, or do we have bigger problems to worry about? 

Sources:

Fox News:

https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/tucker-carlson-marjorie-taylor-greene-cnn-msnbc-reddit-gamestop-national-guard

NBC:

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/gop-rep-marjorie-taylor-greene-faces-backlash-over-incendiary-social-n1255903https://youtu.be/jhe9Fd6YRyA 

Youtube:

https://youtu.be/jhe9Fd6YRyA