MARCEL MBAMALUThe victory of Donald Trump in the 2024 U.S. Presidential election has, as since projected, become one of the greatest political comebacks in American history.
So, while history has ultimately rewarded Trump for his resilience and political acumen, we must also scrutinise the media’s role in shaping this narrative and, more importantly, question its credibility in the face of Trump’s historic resurgence.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelIn 2016, the mainstream media was caught off guard when Trump defied all predictions and won the presidency. The pundits and analysts who so confidently forecast a Hillary Clinton victory were forced to eat their words as Trump clinched a victory in a political upset that left the country—and the world—stunned.
Fast forward to 2024, and the narrative surrounding Trump has not shifted much in the media’s portrayal. He was depicted as unfit to serve as president, with myriad slur words (divisive, fascist, Nazi, felon) court cases, convictions, allegations, bankruptcy-induced fines, even assassination attempts. Trump’s win means that the failures of the mainstream media to predict or properly frame his rise deserve serious scrutiny.
Media’s Poor Political Hindsight
As in 2016, the media, in large part, told the American people what to think, but certainly not how to think critically about his candidacy. The outlets painted him as an unfit candidate with a controversial past; an outsider with no place in the political establishment. Yet, despite the media’s relentless efforts to tarnish his image, the American people voted for him, driven by frustrations with a system they felt had long failed them. Clearly, Trump’s win in 2024 is not just a political victory for his campaign; it is a testament to the failure of the media to truly understand the electorate’s pulse.
As in 2016, Trump, just like his challenger, Kamala Harris, used social media, with everyone learning that mainstream outlets no longer control the narrative. During the 2024 campaigns, the media appeared to learn just a bit of a lesson, but certainly not much. While outright predictions of a Trump loss became less frequent, there remained a strong current of bias against him, particularly on cable news channels and in print outlets.
Therefore, the most telling aspect of the 2024 elections is not necessarily the outcome itself, but the role of the mainstream media in shaping public opinion. Despite having learned little from the 2016 debacle, the media seems to have doubled down on its bias. Even though the 2024 election results have shown that Trump is far from the political force they predicted would fizzle out, mainstream media outlets still appear to have waged an almost singular war against his candidacy.
Media Credibility Will Suffer More
Though the media had appeared somewhat rattled about a possible Trump win, many outlets continued in an almost willful promotion of the narrative that Trump is an unpopular and divisive candidate. No wonder some media commentators, fearing about the falling credibility of mainstream media, openly admitted that, should Trump win in 2024, it would signal that the media had failed in its mission to persuade the electorate and, simply failed to convince anyone of their version of the truth.
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Partisanship, as we have seen, can be a very costly endeavour for media outlets. Some respected publications, such as The Washington Post, now look to be wise enough to distance themselves from endorsing any presidential candidate. This decision to remain neutral, or at least attempt to appear so, comes after years of aggressive partisanship that has deeply eroded trust in the press. It’s a sign that the cost of fuelling divisive political narratives has begun to outweigh the rewards. However, this course correction is long overdue and is no guarantee of restoring the faith of the public in the media.
So, what should the media do now?
First and foremost, the media must reassert its role as a neutral entity dedicated to informing the public rather than forcing opinions on the public. In a world where social media is now the dominant form of information dissemination, the media must adapt to the new reality and resist the temptation to continue playing partisan games. They need to learn from their past mistakes, stop framing politicians as the inevitable villain, and offer a more balanced and nuanced approach to covering aspirants’ political career. Media credibility is on the line; partisanship and bias will only continue to erode their trust with the public.
Certainly, the media can support anyone, and should continue to make predictions. But such leanings should not drown out the major role of the media in political communication: to highlight the major issues and educate the electorate about them, instead of obliterating some candidates and threatening society about what would happen if they win. Even the media supporting Trump fell into this ditch, with Fox News sometimes sounding like Trump was already in the White House before November 5.
Dr Mbamalu is a Jefferson Fellow, Member Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE), renowned publisher and communications consultant.
Dr. Marcel Mbamalu is a communication scholar, journalist and entrepreneur. He holds a Ph.D in Mass Communication from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and is the Chief Executive Officer Newstide Publications, the publishers of Prime Business Africa.
A seasoned journalist, he horned his journalism skills at The Guardian Newspaper, rising to the position of News Editor at the flagship of the Nigerian press. He has garnered multidisciplinary experience in marketing communication, public relations and media research, helping clients to deliver bespoke campaigns within Nigeria and across Africa.
He has built an expansive network in the media and has served as a media trainer for World Health Organisation (WHO) at various times in Northeast Nigeria. He has attended numerous media trainings, including the Bloomberg Financial Journalism Training and Reuters/AfDB training on Effective Coverage of Infrastructural Development of Africa.
A versatile media expert, he won the Jefferson Fellowship in 2023 as the sole Africa representative on the program. Dr Mbamalu was part of a global media team that covered the 2020 United State’s Presidential election. As Africa's sole representative in the 2023 Jefferson Fellowships, Dr Mbamalu was selected to tour the United States and Asia (Japan and Hong Kong) as part of a 12-man global team of journalists on a travel grant to report on inclusion, income gaps and migration issues between the US and Asia.
