Blanket Quote by Naomi Klein
“It's CNN who really should hold Trump accountable. And because they are trading the short-term fix of increased ratings by focusing on Trump drama - and I'm not saying they shouldn't cover the Russian investigations, of course they should - but the blanket coverage, it's not about news values. It is about ratings. And it comes at a tremendous cost because Trump supporters are fully defended against this. As far as they're concerned, this is a vast conspiracy, it's fake news, it doesn't impact their daily lives, it makes them see Trump as a victim, which he wants to be seen as.”
About This Quote
Source Interview: Media Critique, 2022
The media prioritizes ratings over truth, using Trump drama to boost viewership at the expense of substantive reporting.
In simple terms: Media focuses on ratings, not news values, especially with Trump.
Demand higher journalistic standards.
Themes
Mood
Type
When to use this quote
- newsroom policy reviews
- public media literacy campaigns
- regulatory hearings
Key Concepts
Questions to Reflect On
- How can audiences discern bias?
- What reforms could improve news quality?
May generalize all outlets; not all prioritize ratings.