How Media’s Dangerous Obsession with Trump Distorts Journalism—and Why Integrity Matters Now More Than Ever – Brandon Webb
There’s a special place in hell reserved for people who walk slowly on the sidewalks of Manhattan—and right next to them should sit the headline-hungry journalists who think sensationalism, and truth be damned, is worth the clicks.
In the business of news, there’s a saying I heard once: “If it bleeds, it leads.” But these days, it’s more accurate to say, “If it’s scandalous or divisive, it’ll get the clicks.” And with the ever-increasing demands of the 24-hour news cycle, sensational headlines have become the name of the game. Yet this approach is more than just misguided; it’s dangerous. The media’s blind pursuit of a juicy headline and blind bias without considering the fallout has real, often deadly, consequences. Journalists today need to be reminded that what they publish matters—not just in clicks but in the real-world effects of their stories.
Dirty Laundry comes to mind, famously sung by Don Henley in the video below. Still relevant all these years later.
Consider a tragic case from the early 2000s, when investigative journalists published an article exposing the secret identity of CIA operative Valerie Plame.
The story garnered plenty of buzz, sure, but it also led to a blown cover and many times before, operatives being targeted and, in some cases, killed by enemy forces.
Flash forward to recent years, and we see another example of reckless media frenzy: the so-called “Russia-gate” scandal. With baseless accusations and rumors, newsrooms fed Democrat bylines that fueled a narrative that Trump and Russia were embroiled in some nefarious plot.
Years later, those accusations turned out to be outright false. The damage? Diplomatic tensions with Russia that could’ve been avoided—and an American public more polarized and skeptical than ever.
There’s a special place in hell reserved for people who walk slowly on the sidewalks of Manhattan—and right next to them should sit the headline-hungry journalists who think sensationalism, and truth be damned, is worth the clicks.
In the business of news, there’s a saying I heard once: “If it bleeds, it leads.” But these days, it’s more accurate to say, “If it’s scandalous or divisive, it’ll get the clicks.” And with the ever-increasing demands of the 24-hour news cycle, sensational headlines have become the name of the game. Yet this approach is more than just misguided; it’s dangerous. The media’s blind pursuit of a juicy headline and blind bias without considering the fallout has real, often deadly, consequences. Journalists today need to be reminded that what they publish matters—not just in clicks but in the real-world effects of their stories.
Dirty Laundry comes to mind, famously sung by Don Henley in the video below. Still relevant all these years later.
Consider a tragic case from the early 2000s, when investigative journalists published an article exposing the secret identity of CIA operative Valerie Plame.
The story garnered plenty of buzz, sure, but it also led to a blown cover and many times before, operatives being targeted and, in some cases, killed by enemy forces.
Flash forward to recent years, and we see another example of reckless media frenzy: the so-called “Russia-gate” scandal. With baseless accusations and rumors, newsrooms fed Democrat bylines that fueled a narrative that Trump and Russia were embroiled in some nefarious plot.
Years later, those accusations turned out to be outright false. The damage? Diplomatic tensions with Russia that could’ve been avoided—and an American public more polarized and skeptical than ever.
Russia-gate was a spectacular failure of journalistic integrity and responsibility. Instead of pursuing facts, the media fed the public what they believed would get the most clicks and keep them glued to the screen. And they weren’t just selling a scandal; they were selling fear, outrage, and division. As a result, the U.S.-Russia relationship suffered. Leaders who might’ve found common ground couldn’t get out from under the shadow of mistrust and insinuation.
Now, we find ourselves in the aftermath of the 2024 election, where Trump and Kamala Harris faced off in a high-stakes showdown. Once again, the media appeared to pick sides in the election rather than present facts.
Stories about “secret Russian deals” or “Trump the Dictator” fueled extreme and divisive narratives. It’s as if today’s newsrooms have forgotten they’re not supposed to tell the audience what to think; they’re supposed to give them the information and let them draw their own conclusions. Let that dog hunt a moment.
I personally support what Bezos wrote in the Post about letting the people draw their own conclusions and how all of us in the news need to be slaves to the truth, not a political party.
We need to return to journalism that makes a difference—the kind that risks something for the sake of truth, that digs deep without the need for sensationalism. Let the facts be ugly, let them be boring—whatever they are, let them be real. The media’s role isn’t to sway minds or influence votes; it’s to inform.
Journalism has a vital role to play in democracy, but it’s not a free-for-all. If the media doesn’t return to its core values—accuracy, integrity, and independence—it risks further alienating the public it’s supposed to serve. Let’s get back to reporting stories that matter and informing a public smart enough to decide for themselves. Because right now, we’re just feeding the beast, and if we’re not careful, it’s going to eat us all alive.
