How Trump manipulates the media — explained in one simple chart
President Trump’s tweets often leave us shaking our heads out of disbelief. Is he allowed to say these things? Are his claims even based on fact? According to author and Professor Emeritus of Linguistics at University of California Berkeley George Lakoff, Trump manipulates the media with each tweet he posts. And Lakoff created a simple chart to explain exactly how he does it.
"Trump uses social media as a weapon to control the news cycle," Lakoff tweeted alongside the easy-to-understand visual. "It works like a charm. His tweets are tactical rather than substantive."
Lakoff breaks these Trump tweet tactics into four categories: preemptive framing, diversion, deflection, and trial balloon. Each strategy is used to warp his followers’ thoughts and, in turn, the media’s reporting.
Trump’s tweets are absorbed daily by his massive social media following of both supporters and critics. When the media relays and repeats the president’s messages, even in an effort to undermine him, Lakoff explains that the repetition alone helps Trump gain more attention.
Using these manipulative Twitter tactics, well aware that reporters will run with everything he says, Trump effectively keeps the media under his thumb.
Trump uses social media as a weapon to control the news cycle. It works like a charm. His tweets are tactical rather than substantive. They mostly fall into one of these four categories. pic.twitter.com/XaK8tCpRy6
— George Lakoff (@GeorgeLakoff) January 3, 2018
Being aware of the president’s use of preemptive framing, diversion, deflection, and trial balloon can help pull the public out of the dangerous cycle we’re currently a part of. Lakoff calls for change regarding how we handle these volatile tweets.
Imagine if we took a different approach to Trump’s social media antics. Imagine if we put them in a small, quiet corner of the newspaper. Imagine if they were only a minor throwaway item at the end of the newscast. Imagine greeting them with calm clarity, not instant outrage.
— George Lakoff (@GeorgeLakoff) January 3, 2018
He continued,
We have the power stop him. But we must stop letting him control our media — and our minds. It’s time to give Trump a Twitter Time Out. Let’s shrink him down to size. Let’s take this weapon out of his hands. pic.twitter.com/TlBUAWHvsu
— George Lakoff (@GeorgeLakoff) January 3, 2018
Our opinions are being twisted by Trump, even if we don’t agree with him. It’s hard to not pay attention when our president taunts a dictator with nuclear weapons. And it’s difficult not to point out the absurdity that is our president still tweeting about his 2016 campaign opponent.
But to get the media and our own opinions back on track, we need to take a step back from the Trump Twitter spectacle. Going forward, we must recognize the manipulative tactics and realize he’s only tweeting to serve his own agenda.
