Is our media up to the task of covering Trump 2.0?

We are at a perilous time for our media.

People are always asking me, which media outlets do you read and rely on? The answer is, all of them. As part of The Weekly List project, I scour every reputable outlet for broken norms. And doing so has given me some unique insights into how the news was reported during Trump 1.0, versus what is happening now.

A Telling Oval Office Scene

There are big changes in the media landscape and coverage in Trump 2.0; before we get there, I want to paint a scene of last Friday in the Oval Office, where President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance were set to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. A historic meeting with massive implications, and so of course we would expect our most reputable outlets to be in attendance. Not anymore.

Here are two items that will be in Week 17’s list:

• Although the Associated Press and Reuters were banned from the White House’s hand-picked press pool covering the Oval Office event, Russia-state media outlet TASS was invited in, and remained until other reporters posted on social media about it.

• Brian Glenn, a reporter from Real America’s Voice, a far-right cable outlet that has spread conspiracy theories, heckled at Zelensky, “Why don’t you wear a suit?” echoing a comment by Trump. Glenn added, “A lot of Americans have problems with you not respecting the office.”

What happened?