Where Are the Media Trade Associations When We Need Them?

The President is running an incredibly forceful campaign to taint the media industry and its news product as quotfake newsquotamp160denigrating the professionals who are providing that news as quotenemies of the peoplequotamp160amp160Let39s take for granted though that if you are reading this you know the importance of professionally produced news content and the indispensable role an independent and free press plays in our constitutional democracy as protected by the First AmendmentOne cannot minimize the President39s success in destroying the credibility of mainstream news brandsamp160 A recent CBS News poll indicated that among Trump39s supportersamp160who remain a substantial segment of the population when asked quotWho do you trust for accurate informationquot 91 said Trump 63 said friends and familyamp160and 11 said the mainstream mediaamp160 In a recent IpsosDaily Beast poll 48 of Republicans agree that quotthe news media is the enemy of the American peoplequotamp160 Strikingly 26 of Independents agree as wellamp160 Maybe even more striking 43 of Republicans wanted to give the President the power to shutter quotbadquot media outletsAgainst this backdrop one must ask where is the media industry39s response to its own content and news brands being so damaged by the President39s effortsamp160 Yes reporters from a multitude of organizations point out the President39s falsehoods and have not been deterred in holding the administration39s feet to the fireamp160 The recent mobilization of newspapers to write editorials expounding on why a free press matters is a good step And individual publishers have occasionally taken on the President39s characterizationsamp160 However it is going to take a far greater mobilization campaignamp160by all mainstream media to continuously combat the Trump fullcourtamp160quotantipressquot amp160So the question is against The White House39s massive antimedia campaign why has there not been a concerted industry response to the President39s ruthless characterizations of a free and independent pressSpecifically where is the National Association of Broadcastersamp160 Where is the National Cable Television Associationamp160 Where is the News Media Alliance representing newspapersamp160 Where is the Internet Associationamp160 None of them are anywhere to be seenThese organizations exist to advocate on behalf of their industries against adverse effects of government actionamp160 As a former Counsel to the House Telecommunications Committee which oversees the FCC and media industry issues I can attest that these industries raise First Amendment concerns on the most trivial and obscure regulatory issues even when making such arguments is at best a stretchamp160 Yet in the face of a fullfrontal attack by the President of the United States on the very essence of their credibility these wellfunded advocacy organizations have been basically silentAs a former chief strategist of a major broadcast network I can also attest that it takes very little to provoke a First Amendment argument from a major media company even when it comes to minor tussles with government agencies The President39s dismissive framing of the mainstream media industry if unchecked will continue to dismantle the trust that Americans should and need to have in the nation39s press however the very industry organizations built and funded to push back on the government are ducking and hiding There has been a lot of recent discussion of the difficult consequences faced by individual company brands when responding to the Presidentamp160 But that is why trade associations exist amp160so that no individual company needs to shoulder the burdenamp160 A trade association as a representative of all players in the industry can take on the necessary fightamp160But where is that fightamp160 Why aren39t the media industry trade associations standing together and running massive advertising campaigns to educate the public about the importance of a free press investigative journalism how to distinguish what39s real news from fake news and how to teach your kids that believing what you want is very different from weighing and understanding the factsOne explanation for this lack of leadership is that like many industries the business side of the media industry is focused on getting deregulatory benefits from this administration and figuring it39s disadvantageous to rock the boatamp160 Another explanation is that these trade associations are largely run by former Republican officials including a former Senator a former FCC Chairmanamp160and a former House Committee Staff DirectorIt is clear that most Republican congressional members have become enablers unwilling to speak up against the President because of his sway over their constituentsamp160 The media industry39s own significant trade associations by not activating their substantial public persuasion resources are becoming enablers themselves allowing their own industry to be deeply underminedPhoto credit rawpixel UnsplashClick the social buttons above or below to share this story with your friends and colleaguesThe opinions and points of view expressed in this content are exclusively the views of the author andor subjects and do not necessarily represent the views of MediaVillagecomMyersBizNet Inc management or associated writers

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Where Are the Media Trade Associations When We Need Them?

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Tom Rogers

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Where Are the Media Trade Associations When We Need Them?

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