Corporate media companies have a big problem in 2024. If the aftermath of the Iowa caucuses is any indication of how they plan to handle the election for the rest of the year, then it’s obvious they aren’t going to be helping themselves or their efforts to prop up President Joe Biden’s flailing reelection campaign.
After the caucuses, two editorial decisions illustrated the corporate media’s approach. CNN chose to cut away from former President Donald Trump’s victory speech when he brought up the issues of illegal immigration and election integrity. MSNBC chose not to air the speech at all. These choices gave us a taste of the knots into which left-wing news organizations will twist themselves as they attempt to cover the election.
The networks are well aware that Trump’s Iowa speech marks the first of what will almost certainly be a steady string of caucus and primary victories. Trump currently leads in every state poll, and he maintains a stunning 54.6 percent margin over his nearest GOP competitor in the RealClearPolitics polling average. Yet networks like CNN and MSNBC cannot cover him. Their news coverage not only skews majorly left, but it depends on viewers who are convinced that Trump is the second coming of Adolf Hitler. Allowing Trump his say is something they just don’t want to do.
Ignoring Trump Is Bad TV and Won’t Save Biden
That creates a twofold dilemma for them that, as their Iowa coverage shows, they haven’t begun to understand, let alone solve.
Covering an election
