The 2017 fake news awards

President Donald Trump feeds Koi fish as Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, center, and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson second from right, watch during a stop at a Koi pond during a visit to the Akasaka Palace, Monday, Nov. 6, 2017, in Tokyo. Trump is on a five country trip through Asia traveling to Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

AP

President Donald Trump feeds Koi fish as Japan Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, center, and Secretary of State Rex Tillerson second from right, watch during a stop at a Koi pond during a visit to the Akasaka Palace, Monday, Nov. 6, 2017, in Tokyo. Trump is on a five country trip through Asia traveling to Japan, South Korea, China, Vietnam and the Philippines. (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik)

The media isn’t perfect. Due to often publishing quantity over quality, things slip through the cracks. Donald Trump, not uncommon for Presidents, has not had a strong relationship with the press. And his aggressions are not hidden. He has refused to speak to certain reporters on issues, and he consistently uses Twitter as a way to report for himself. On Wednesday night, after a rescheduling, Donald Trump released his “Fake News Awards” to the organizations and reporters he has found to be the most dishonest in their reporting.

President Trump’s tweet about the Fake News award winners

At eight p.m. the President shared a tweet saying, “and the FAKE NEWS winners are…” followed by a link to the Republican National Committee website. The awards went to the news organizations and reporters that Trump has been highly critical of on Twitter and in his speeches.

The “Fake News Awards” went to…

1. The New York Times’ Paul Krugman who claimed on the day of President Trump’s victory that the economy would never recover.

2. ABC News’ Brian Ross reported a story that may have sent markets down with a false report of the Russian investigation.

3. CNN falsely reported that candidate Donald Trump and his son Donald J. Trump, Jr. had access to hacked documents from WikiLeaks.

4. TIME reported that President Trump removed a bust of Martin Luther King, Jr. from the Oval Office.

5. Washington Post reported that the President’s sold-out rally in Pensacola, Florida was empty. A reporter showed a picture of the empty arena before the crowd started pouring in.

6. CNN edited a video to make it appear that President Trump defiantly overfed fish during a visit with the Japanese prime minister. Japanese prime minister actually led the way with the feeding.

7. CNN reported about Anthony Scaramucci meeting with a Russian, but retracted it due to a “significant breakdown in process.”

8. Newsweek reported that Polish First Lady Agata Kornhauser-Duda did not shake President Trump’s hand when it was later proved that she did.

9. CNN reported that former FBI Director James Comey would dispute President Trump’s claim that he was told he is not under investigation.

10. The New York Times claimed on the front page that the Trump administration had hidden a climate report.

11. The story of collusion with the Russians during the 2016 election.

These “awards” given by President Trump ranged from large-scale issues in reporting, such as the handling of reporting of the Russia investigation by Robert Mueller to petty issues with the press, such as the story about Trump overfeeding Japanese fish. The most “awards” went to CNN, who is often criticized by Trump on Twitter for their coverage of him and certain issues.

One of President Trump’s tweets regarding the media

Trump’s war against the press has been tumultuous and often criticized. In an op-ed for the Washington Post, Republican Senator John McCain published his thoughts on Trump’s attacks on the press.

“He [Trump] has threatened to continue his attempt to discredit the free press by bestowing ‘fake news awards’ upon reporters and news outlets whose coverage he disagrees with. Whether Trump knows it or not, these efforts are being closely watched by foreign leaders who are already using his words as cover as they silence and shutter one of the key pillars of democracy,” wrote John McCain in his op-ed.

The press and media are known to be the watch-dogs in a society, which is why the President’s attacks on the press have been so concerning for those who have trust in the press. Through Twitter, President Trump has the ability to report for himself, which has only been positive news. Now more than ever, the press must do their jobs diligently and truthfully, so that “Fake News Awards” are a regular event.