RUTHFULLY YOURS

After a long night that ended up with a clear Trump victory, I think it’s safe enough to say that, from now on, there are going to be some radical changes in the relationship between the American people and Mainstream Media (MSM).

Here there are the following 15 talking points that should be considered (in a random order):

(1) The MSM has always presented itself as the holder of Truth. Reality has shown that MSM has been engaged for way too long in a war with Truth, and MSM has lost this war.

(2) The MSM has portrayed Hillary Clinton as a person exonerated from criminal responsibility for her numerous acts of corruption and illegal activities over time. Reality has indicated that she has jeopardized national security, and has threatened certain individuals, perceived as dangerous or compromising for her own political convenience.

(3) The MSM has presented Donald Trump as an isolated, exotic character, unrelated to the world’s current major concerns (particularly in Europe, but also in Asia and Africa), such as: Islamic terrorism, massive immigration (particularly from Muslim countries), and the assault against Christianity. Reality has shown that Trump is, indeed, a true American Mr. Brexit.

(4) The MSM has presented populism as a marginal trend in the American society. Reality has proven that the majorities of the electorates of both parties, Republican and Democratic, consist in populist voters, who support anti-Establishment candidates (Donald Trump or Bernie Sanders).

(5) The MSM has followed Hillary Clinton and portrayed – narratively and statistically – more than half of the country’s population as a “basket of deplorables,” in sharp contrast with “the majority of the American people.” Reality has shown that the so-called majority – ideologically and racially – consists in an accumulation of several minority groups.

(6) The MSM has threatened the “deplorables” with many Hollywood darlings moving out the country if the candidate of the “deplorables” were to win. Post-election reality will force those darlings of the Dream Factory City to fulfill their vocal promises (otherwise, they should shut the hell up and just sing or act!).

(7) The MSM has presented as a fait accompli the idea that winning televised presidential debates organized by MSM is a solid predictor of winning the presidency. Reality has illustrated that this has become a myth (especially after episodes of Donna Brazile-type, where party operatives, in cahoots with the same MSM, leak information about people’s debate questions to certain preferred candidate).

(8) The MSM has instilled the idea that political household names – like Kennedy, Clinton or Bush – are invincible per se. Reality has shown that non-politicians, like Trump, can take down in just one electoral race two powerful political-dynastic names (Bush and Clinton), which had ruled the country for 16 years in a row.

(9) The MSM has trained the electorate to think that “temperament” is a bad thing and “experience” is a good thing. Reality has proven that “temperament” involves a powerful character, strong values, determination, contempt for political correctness, while “experience” (if it’s bad) is useless (and so is “low energy”).

(10) The MSM has accustomed the American people to a politically correct discourse. Reality has proven that new standards need to be adopted: “tell it like it is,” “high energy” and “being unpredictable” have become a “must” in order to overcome the voters’ boredom and apathy. Benjamin Franklin is credited with the famous quote: “Believe none of what you hear, and only half of what you see.”

(11) The MSM has constructed a narrative according to which certain constituents (like minorities, union workers) can be regarded as “plantation workers” and certain constituencies (like “the Blue Wall” – Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin) are Democratic Holy Lands; the reality has shown that nobody and nothing can be taken for granted anymore.

(12) The MSM has created the narrative that Hillary Clinton is the inevitable president, who would win by a landslide (predicted with a 90% probability), and the Democrats would take the U.S. Senate, too. Reality has shown that Republicans can win the presidency and both houses of the Congress (for the first time since November 1928!). However, this does not exempt the Republicans from reforming their own party.

(13) The MSM has instilled the idea that America means mainly New York, The Bay Area and Hollywood. Reality is that the core of America is exactly in-between.

(14) The MSM years ago switched the party traditional colors to red for Conservatives and blue for Democrats (with the late Tim Russert being credited as one of the coiners). Reality is that the original colors (supported ideologically by the British and continental European tradition) used to be blue for Conservatives and red for Democrats. Time has come now for the two colors to go back to their original parties.

(15) The MSM has accustomed the electorate to the toxic idea that a Trump presidency will be the “hell on earth.” Reality will show liberals that they should not moan and weep because their country has not been lost, but rather saved. And it will be greater again and more prosperous than ever!

As a consequence of all of the above, the MSM has lost irremediably the right to be called “mainstream.”

TIBERIU DIANU is a scholar and author of several books and articles in law, politics, and post-communist societies. He currently lives and works in Washington, DC.