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TN Politics: The Media Pushes Back Against Trump's "Fake News" Wedge

Political analyst Otis Sanford.
WKNO-FM
Political analyst Otis Sanford.
Political analyst Otis Sanford.
Credit WKNO-FM
Political analyst Otis Sanford.

More than 300 newspapers across the country this week took the unusual step of publishing coordinated edtorials, defending the values of a free press and pushing back against President Trump's assertion that the media is the "opposition party" and the "enemy of the people."

For journalists and media advocates such as political analyst Otis Sanford, the act of solidarity was a matter of standing up to Trump's Twitter pulpit. He also notes that with the intensification of certain hot-button issues such as white supremacy, the role of the journalist is under scrutiny.

Will howls of "fake news" trickle down to statewide elections in the next few months? Sanford suspects the phrase could have more purchase among Trump-aligned politicians, winning support by positioning the media as a foe of Republican voters.

This week, Otis Sanford discusses the media's response to President Trump's claims of fake news.

Copyright 2018 WKNO

A native "Florida Man," Christopher started in this business as a copy clerk at the renowned St. Petersburg Times before persuading editors to let him write. He moved to Memphis in 2001 to cover arts and entertainment at the Commercial Appeal. Since then, he has contributed to nearly every publication in Shelby County, writing features on everything from the Civil War to Civil Rights. Also, Elvis... a lot of Elvis.