Perry Bacon Jr. in The Washington Post, May 9, 2023, says that the media has to cover former president Donald Trump as the most likely to receive the Republican nomination for president in 2024 but avoid past mistakes. CNN said they were treating Trump like any other candidate, a dangerous approach since he spews lies and tries to tear down democratic institutions and norms. Bacon lists three principles that should govern coverage: focus on “the stakes” of the 2024 election, not “the odds”; explain Trump’s probable agenda as president in detail; and don’t make getting access to Republican politicians or projecting “neutrality” and “objectivity” a main goal of coverage.
Government professor Dan Cassino says it is vital to cover Trump judiciously and avoid showing every speech in its entirety. “Fact checking is impossible if you’re showing fully live;” says Cassino, “showing it in pieces where there’s something newsworthy, and fact checking the spot, is certainly a better idea.” (The Guardian, May 7, 2023, by David Smith)