Donald Trump's celebrity status posed an unusual challenge for traditional political journalism.
Expected Coverage:
Experts predicted the press would offer derisive, 'clown-like' coverage due to his unconventional background and reality TV career.
Actual Treatment:
Despite expectations, the high entertainment value of his campaign led major outlets like The New York Times and Washington Post to cover him extensively throughout both the primaries and general election.
The Dilemma Explained:
The press faced a unique conflict: balancing established journalistic standards with the allure of celebrity coverage. Our analysis draws on:
This study reveals how entertainment-infused politics reshaped media approaches to presidential campaigns.
| When Celebrity and Political Journalism Collide: Reporting Standards, Entertainment, and the Conundrum of Covering Donald Trump's 2016 Campaign was authored by Amber Boydstun and Regina G. Lawrence. It was published by Cambridge in POP in 2020. |
