Staff Reports
On July 13, Donald Trump survived an assassination attempt in Butler, Pennsylvania. What followed was pure cinematic gold: a bloodied but unbowed Trump, less than 200 yards from the stage, fist raised in triumph, urging his supporters to “fight.” This snapshot of resilience has gone viral, spreading like wildfire across social media. Of course, the mainstream media can’t handle it. They’re wringing their hands, worried that the image could harm Biden and give Trump some “free PR.”
Get this: they’re afraid the picture might actually do their job for once—showing the undeniable strength and popularity of Trump. This fiasco underscores what the late Andrew Breitbart dubbed the “Democrat-media complex.” According to Axios, 30 of the top 50 local news websites plastered the iconic image or a similar one on their homepages Saturday evening. On the other hand, national outlets like The Washington Post and The New York Times used their own photos to ensure nobody missed the “bullet flying past Trump’s ear” narrative. Thanks for the drama, Doug Mills.
With limited media presence at the rally, national newsrooms had to depend on a handful of major outlets for reporting, video, and photos. But there’s a twist: journalists at these esteemed institutions are in a tizzy behind closed doors, fearing their pictures are morphing into “photoganda.” That’s right, Trump’s campaign might use these images to its advantage, despite photographers’ innocent intention of merely documenting history.
Axios: a "photo editor" at a "major news outlet" suggests media should bury the photo of Trump raising his fist because it's "kind of free PR for Trump in a way, and it's dangerous for media organizations to keep sharing that photo despite how good it is." pic.twitter.com/pLcrLi6mnH
— Peter J. Hasson (@peterjhasson) July 16, 2024
A major news outlet’s photo editor reportedly lamented the overuse of Evan Vucci’s viral photo, claiming it acts as free publicity for Trump. Imagine that—a photo editor afraid of their own work making waves. Is it really dangerous to share a compelling news photo just because it paints Trump in a positive light? Apparently, in today’s media landscape, it is.
Let’s call it what it is: a media coup against journalism. They’re advocating for historical censorship to maintain their partisan agenda. This crowd claims trumpeting Trump’s triumph could harm Biden and the Democrats. Sure, let’s just tamper with reality a bit because, evidently, preserving political bias is more important than doing your job. Buckle up, America. The “Democrat-media complex” is hard at work, and it’s as corrupt and self-serving as ever.
