Trump, not the media, drives negativity on his performance in first months

International TV & print news, January 20, 2017 – April 29, 2017

New York, May 22, 2017. Extreme levels of negativity amidst questions on his suitability for office that have defined the first four months of Trump's presidency are caused by Trump, not the media, according to new research from Media Tenor International.

“Trump has not achieved a positive tone in the media for a single week since he took office,” says Roland Schatz, founder and CEO of Media Tenor International. “This has been driven by reactions to Trump’s violations of constitutional norms related to the failed ‘Muslim ban’, anti-immigrant policy, and concerns about nepotism and corruption related to Trump’s family and usage of business properties for government activity.”

“Even Fox News, which has been less negative on Trump than other analyzed media, still presented an overall negative image. On Fox, Trump has not received significant praise. Fox coverage looked less negatively at issues that have raised concerns elsewhere. However, Trump’s inability to deliver for constituents has also caused problems,” Schatz adds.

“Trump may claim he is being treated worse than any other president, but the negativity he is receiving is not without reason,” Schatz explains. “George W. Bush was often criticized on foreign policy. Bill Clinton received negativity on his false statements. Even Obama faced criticism on his incrementalism in policy, drone strikes abroad, and non-closure of Guantanamo Bay. But none of Trump’s predecessors had the chance to respond to these criticisms at the level he has. CBS, NBC, and, in particular, FOX offer Trump a unique amount of airtime that he has been unable to turn to his advantage in large part because Trump contradicts himself on a day-to-day basis.”

“But while Trump’s attacks against the media are not grounded in reality, we also need to recognize that he wouldn’t be in office if the media hadn’t laid the groundwork by covering migrants, Muslims, and politics in a manner that has made Trump’s demagoguery an advantage on U.S. TV news,” Schatz concludes.

This research examined 6,629 reports on Trump U.S. and international print and TV news. For over 20 years Media Tenor’s mission has been to contribute to objective, diverse and newsworthy media content by bringing together the diverse parties. Media Tenor’s global research projects include analyses of election campaigns, investor relations, public diplomacy, corporate communications and other topics critical to news makers and news audiences. For more information, please contact Racheline Maltese at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..

ews, January 20, 2017 – April 29, 2017