The Ongoing Impact of ‘Long TDS’: A Deep Dive into Media Responses to Trump

The Ongoing Impact of ‘Long TDS’: A Deep Dive into Media Responses to Trump

COVID-19 has had a devastating real-world impact, causing the deaths of at least 7 million people globally, including over a million in the United States. However, the reported statistics may not reflect the true toll, primarily due to inaccuracies in reporting from totalitarian regimes like China and the lack of infrastructure for accurate data collection in poorer nations. This pandemic has proven to be the deadliest since the Spanish flu after World War I.

In the wake of COVID-19, many Americans have faced the challenges of “Long COVID”. While some individuals fully recover, others continue to grapple with a debilitating array of symptoms. Recovery often requires extensive rest and medical treatment, affecting countless lives.

Media’s Aftermath: A Dissected Response

Similarities arise when comparing the media’s reaction to Trump’s presidency to the concept of Long COVID. In the media landscape, both traditional and emerging platforms have witnessed profound repercussions that impact their credibility and the careers of many journalists.

Before and after Donald Trump’s unexpected win in 2016—a pivotal moment in American political history—“Trump Derangement Syndrome” (TDS) reigned supreme. This phenomenon manifested itself in the form of irrational reporting, where many analysts and journalists seemed incapable of maintaining journalistic integrity.

The Disruption of Journalism Integrity

The shocking nature of Trump’s election triggered instability in numerous news organizations. Analysts often lost the capacity to report objectively on the positive achievements of Trump’s first term. Instead, they fixated on fabricated narratives, with one notable instance being the “Russia, Russia, Russia” saga, which overshadowed legitimate reporting.

This pronounced “Trump hatred,” often intertwined with a disdain for Fox News, resulted in plummeting audience shares for many media individuals and organizations. Those who did not lose their jobs still faced significant losses in credibility and trust with their audiences. TDS’s impact on the media landscape proved damaging. A diagnostic question for those suffering from TDS could be: