The two chyrons CNN led off the 1 p.m. hour with exemplify the pathologies and dysfunction that have allowed Donald Trump to force the media to wear the "fake news" label like a scarlet letter from the moment he descended the escalator three years ago. 
"Trump Spreads Lies & Stokes Fears Ahead of Elections" and "Trump Wages Fact-Free Campaign of Fear Before Elections" are exactly the sort of officious, clumsy, cackhanded editorializing that has permanently tarred the media with a reputation for partisanship and duplicity.
Clearly the memo went out for the MSM to push the "fear and lies" angle. Just look at these headlines from the Washington Post, New York Times, and Toronto Star, respectively.
nytimes.com/2018/10/22/us/…
washingtonpost.com/politics/trump…
thestar.com/news/world/201…
nytimes.com/2018/10/22/us/…
washingtonpost.com/politics/trump…
thestar.com/news/world/201…
Here are the opening paragraphs from these stories. From the NYT: "dark and factually baseless" and "unsubstantiated." From WaPo: "laced with falsehoods." From the Star: "False, false, false, false, false, false, false." I think they might be trying to tell us something.
And maybe it's true that Trump is running on fear and lies. The problem is that the media has no credibility whatsoever to engage in this sort of moralistic editorializing. It has no standing to make these sorts of judgments. It's too late. Much too late.
"Fear and lies"? Really? Like Mitt Romney giving people cancer? Or every GOP policy (tax cuts, repealing net neutrality, what have you) killing thousands of people? You mean fear and lies like that? Or did you have something else in mind?
Running around like headless chickens whose pants are on fire is never going to make up for sleeping on the job for the eight years Obama was in office. All it does is make this newfound zeal seem even more craven, convenient, and incredible.
The way print and cable has octupled down on the "fear and lies" narrative, you'd be forgiven for thinking the real fear is that the blue wave might be faltering and that this has inspired a palpable sense of panic and desperation. Hence this overwrought, hysterical reporting.
Trump and the media might be the most co-dependent relationship in history. They can't live with each other, they can't live without each other. But neither party will change it. They get too much out of it. It's great for them. But it sure sucks for the rest of us.
Dear media: stop using your whole ass. Love, America.
Here's another one. No surprise the Grauniad is running this play. theguardian.com/us-news/2018/o…
