Here we go again. In the campaign for the 2016 presidential election, the media gave Donald Trump billions of dollars of free coverage. They loved every tweet and outrageous statement that made headlines and sold newspapers. Two days of ABC’s George Stephanopoulos following the president around looking for that next headline is not news — it is media hype and self-promotion.

There was a time when we thought of the media as the “fourth estate,” looking out for the people of America and America’s best interest. Trump calls the media “the enemy of the people.” If the media acts the same way as they did in the 2016 campaign, Trump may be right.

Clive Cabral

Pearl City

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