New York City is the city of a million stories. The
tabloids help explain the rise of Donald Trump: pages full of
celebrity gossip, divorce, crime, sex scandals, and scantily clad Page Six
girls. Tabloids speak very directly. Like Trump, they have strong opinions,
pull no punches but are sometimes sketchy on the details. They go for emotions.
Large print headlines jump off the page and many photos stimulate the reader.
We are not talking NY Times,
the paper of record. Too intellectual. Trump calls them the “failing New York
Times” but secretly wants their approval. Trump rises from the NYC
tabloids--the conservative New York Post
and the liberal New York Daily News.
If it bleeds it leads.
Credit Donald Trump with one sign of genius, his decision to stick
with New York City. New York struggled in the 1970s when things looked
bleakest—gangs, graffiti, and unemployment. Why did he stay? Trump is a sucker
for a story and Gotham thrives on stories. And New York City has many celebrities
of various stripes. Trump loves celebrities, more than almost anything else.
And then New York made a comeback. Ironically, immigrants played a
big role in invigorating the city. Creative young people returned to the Big Apple,
especially Brooklyn. Gentrification followed. Crime decreased.
Wall Street’s massive profits trickled down across the city. The Big Apple was
back. Trump Tower stood proudly in the middle of the renaissance.
Trump learned from the tabloids. It’s all about exposure and
building a brand. All publicity is good publicity. And Trump got a regular gig
on television—The Apprentice.
When it came time to run for President, Trump figured out the
cable news game better than Hillary. Say outrageous things and arouse emotion.
Tabloid newspapers influenced cable TV with its confrontational style. Donald
Trump’s oxygen became cable TV. He loves being the performer and the watcher.
He digests CNN programs and reacts. As President, he sealed the
deal by mastering Twitter. Trump’s tweets became his own media outlet.
We usually get the President who figures out the media environment
more accurately than his/her competition. Trump wanted to be the most famous man in
the world. Mission accomplished. Trump now controls the news cycle—24/7. He cannot
be moved off of Page One.
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