Media Guilt
The media should be held to account for the Trump assassination attempt.
In the 1990s a radio announcer played a significant role in inflaming the Rwandan genocide. Georges Ruggiu was a Belgian-Italian journalist who worked for Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines (RTLM) in Rwanda during the 1994 genocide. RTLM was a Hutu-controlled radio station that broadcast hate speech and incited violence against Tutsis and moderate Hutus. Ruggiu, along with other RTLM broadcasters, used inflammatory language and propaganda to dehumanise Tutsis, referring to them as “cockroaches” and calling for their extermination. The radio broadcasts played a crucial role in spreading misinformation, coordinating attacks, and encouraging Hutu civilians to participate in the genocide.
In 2000, Ruggiu was convicted by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) for his role in inciting genocide and crimes against humanity. He was sentenced to 12 years in prison after pleading guilty to the charges.
In December 2023, there was an article in Politico: “Why Biden’s campaign keeps linking Trump to Hitler,” which begins, “In most situations, comparing a political opponent to Adolf Hitler might seem like an extraordinary step. For Joe Biden’s campaign, it has become part of the routine of running against Donald Trump.” In the same month MSNBC wrote an opinion piece, “Donald Trump has truly earned comparisons to Adolf Hitler.”
Left wing media personalities in the U.S. have routinely used the same rhetoric. As recently as 5 July 2024 MSNBC host Joy Reid pulled no punches in expressing her disdain for former President Donald Trump, comparing him to Nazi German dictator Adolf Hitler. Other outlets including Washington Post and New York Times have made similar comparisons, and NPR (National Public Radio) earlier published an article headed, “#MemeOfTheWeek: Comparing Donald Trump To Hitler”, and Newsweek in November 2023 asked, “Fact Check: Is Donald Trump, Adolf Hitler Viral Quote Comparison Accurate?”
Cut to this weekend and we are met with this news: “The assassination attempt of former President Donald Trump left a nation stunned.” But the most shocking aspect was that it was not nearly as surprising as it should have been. For months, politicians, the press and pundits have escalated reckless rhetoric in this campaign.”
This rhetoric was discussed in a new book, “The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage,” written by Jonathan Turley, who has written, “Some of us have been objecting for years that this rage rhetoric is a dangerous political pitch for the nation.”
The question that now must be asked is, “should those in the media, like Joy Reid, be prosecuted to the extent that Georges Ruggiu was.” Repeatedly comparing Trump to Hitler has contributed to dehumanising him in the eyes of many, making it easier for the attempted assassin to justify extreme actions against him. Framing a political opponent as an existential threat, as the Biden campaign has, has created a sense of urgency and desperation in the minds of some viewers and readers. If media consistently portray someone as evil or a threat to democracy, it inevitably leads some unstable individuals to view violence as a morally justified action. Such rhetoric reinforces and intensifies those beliefs.
Inflammatory language heightens emotional responses, potentially clouding judgment in some individuals, increasing political polarisation, potentially pushing individuals towards more extreme positions. Media organisations and figures have a responsibility to consider the potential impacts of their rhetoric.
Biden calling the apparent assassination attempt on Donald Trump “sick” rings hollow, considering the many times his campaign has vilified Trump. Now, the media as a whole, and some journalists in particular, should be held to account. The blood is not just on Trump’s ear, it’s all over them too.