History will unfold live before millions of television news viewers on Tuesday as former President Donald Trump travels to Manhattan Criminal Court to be arraigned after last week’s unprecedented indictment.
The extraordinary moment will present newsrooms with a slew of coverage conundrums and test how well outlets have adapted to reporting on Trump since he left office in disgrace and largely vanished from the public view.
A version of this article first appeared in the “Reliable Sources” newsletter. Sign up for the daily digest chronicling the evolving media landscape here.
To help guide news organizations with tackling this thorny story, I reached out to a few smart members of the industry for their thoughts:
► Margaret Sullivan: “Use what we’ve learned since 2015 about covering Trump (if we really have learned!) and adjust accordingly. Weigh the newsworthiness of the moment against the likelihood of spreading his predictable lies. Fact-checking later is not nearly as effective as putting his statements in context before blasting them out raw. Remember we’re in the truth and democracy business, and let that guide the way.”
► Bill Grueskin: “My advice: Ignore the courthouse circus, and focus on the merits of the DA’s case. Is there new evidence? Are there new witnesses? What does the indictment tell us that we didn’t already know about Trump’s payment to Stormy Daniels? And what about that is provably illegal?”
► Jack Shafer: “Editors and producers should stop looking over their shoulders worrying about what the ox peckers might say about their camera angles, the number of hours they spend on the booking, the number of column inches they burn on the prosecution and trust their own journalistic instincts and training. It’s a story, follow it. Inform your readers and viewers.”
► Susan Glasser: “I’m exhausted by the pre-spin and breathless coverage of an indictment we haven’t seen yet and Trump’s motorcade and plane flying, as if those were momentous events in their own right. The news will be what we learn about the particulars of the case and, if it’s released, the history-making mug shot of the first ever former president to be charged in a criminal case. Trump’s statements since the indictment have made news by being incendiary verging on reckless — and his evening presser is likely to offer more in this vein. In the end, most of this is likely to be a little remembered spectacle that Trump is milking for all it’s worth — and it will be the outcome of this case that will shape its place in history, and what political affect it is eventually judged to have.”
► Preet Bharara: “Don’t jump the gun. Know there will be surprises. Beware making this some Mano a Mano, Alvin Bragg versus Donald Trump story.”
► Molly Jong-Fast: “He needs to be covered as a truth sandwich. Tell the truth before you repeat one of his lies. if you can don’t repeat the lies. If you must repeat the lie be sure to say it’s a LIE. Don’t use his campaign’s framing! Don’t let him be your assignment editor. Trump is a candidate and also likely a defendant, treat him like every other candidate and defendant. Don’t give him the benefit of the doubt.”
► Alyssa Farah: “Be careful not to be spun by Trump world. Trump is currently spiraling over this indictment but he and his team will do everything in their power to try to harness the narrative and frame it as a win for him. Take a step back, contextualize this moment for history: being indicted is never a good thing and it hurts him in a general election regardless of what he says.”
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