John,

Hi — Mark Jacob here, contributor at COURIER.

Last weekend was a case study in Trump’s greatest skill: manipulating the media to control the story and dodge accountability. From hyping diplomatic deals he barely touched to burying scandals with made-for-TV distractions, Trump knows exactly how to game a press corps too timid to call his bluff in real time.

That’s why independent outlets like COURIER matter so much right now. While legacy media cower and let Trump set the narrative, we cut through the spin and tell people the truth about what’s happening.

I wrote about how, once again, major media — especially the New York Times — is failing to meet the moment. You can read the full piece below. But before you do, I hope you’ll consider supporting COURIER. While corporate newsrooms dance to Trump’s tune, we’re cutting through the spin and delivering the truth.

If you believe it’s time to stop letting Trump game the headlines, chip in now to support our reporting. It takes resources to push back against a propaganda machine this relentless. [[link removed]]

Thanks for standing with us,
Mark Jacob
COURIER Contributor

Donate Now [[link removed]]
Thanks for standing with us,
Mark Jacob
COURIER Contributor




This past weekend was a festival of Trump playing the fiddle and many in the mainstream media dancing to it.

One of Trump’s few talents is media manipulation. He knows the value of being the first to frame a news development. He knows that many in the media feel obligated to act like the president is telling the truth, even when the president is the most notorious liar of our time. And he knows how to change the subject.

On Saturday morning, Trump broke news by announcing on his Truth Social platform: “After a long night of talks mediated by the United States, I am pleased to announce that India and Pakistan have agreed to a FULL AND IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE.” The ceasefire agreement was real, as India and Pakistan quickly confirmed. However, Trump’s casting of the U.S. as the star player seemed a bit off. Pakistan said “three dozen countries” were involved in the diplomacy, among them Turkey, Saudi Arabia, and the U.S. According to India, the ceasefire with Pakistan “was worked out directly between the two countries.”

In any case, the news was the ceasefire – not Trump. Yet Trump’s initial framing kept him front and center with many news outlets. Long after both warring sides confirmed the ceasefire and it was no longer necessary to attribute facts to Trump, the New York Times led its coverage this way:


[link removed] [[link removed]]

I have no explanation for why the NYT feels a need to stick Trump's name into headlines when it’s not warranted. Maybe the Times thinks “Trump” is to news what MSG is to restaurant food – a flavor enhancer. Sticking “Trump” into headlines may boost story clicks, but it also boosted the White House’s efforts to claim peacemaking credit for Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and even Vice President JD Vance, who said two days earlier that the India-Pakistan conflict was “fundamentally none of our business.”

Donate Now [[link removed]]

On Sunday, Trump had to deal with less positive news: his plan to accept a $400 million Boeing 747-8 jumbo jet from the Qatari royal family that he could use as Air Force One and that would later be donated to the Trump presidential library foundation, presumably for his post-presidential use.

The gift seems to violate the Constitution’s Emoluments Clause in a way that’s even more brazen than his previous schemes to cash in on the presidency. Yet the jetliner gift got clearance from Attorney General Pam Bondi, who failed to recuse herself on the issue despite previously earning $115,000 a month lobbying for Qatar.

Not all news outlets focused sufficiently on the impropriety. For example, NBC spent 34 words in a headline and subhead without giving any hint of the corrupt nature of the plan:

[link removed] [[link removed]]

Even so, the Qatar jetliner story caught fire on Sunday, with a wave of criticism on social media, and the Trump regime took steps to change the subject. Trump rolled out an unrelated initiative with a hokey marketing tactic, issuing an announcement of an announcement of an announcement.

It started with this post on Truth Social: “My next TRUTH will be one of the most important and impactful I have ever issued. ENJOY!”

After creating the suspense, Trump made another post saying he planned to issue an executive order Monday that will mean “Prescription Drug and Pharmaceutical prices will be REDUCED, almost immediately, by 30% to 80%.” We know how worthless Trump’s claims are, but the Associated Press wrote a story headlined, “Trump promises to order that the US pay only the price other nations do for some drugs.”

Never mind the strong doubts about whether anything will come of the idea, considering the power of Big Pharma. By offering broad strokes Sunday on social media and holding a news conference Monday, Trump got two bites of the apple. And as the press got its first opportunity to ask him about the Qatari luxury jet, Trump made sure the main spotlight was on cheaper drugs for everyday Americans.

Sometimes the sneak peek approach is counterproductive, though. On Sunday, the White House issued a statement headlined, “U.S. Announces China Trade Deal in Geneva,” with no details. To many news outlets, it seemed to come from the same bag of hype as when Trump posted last week about a “full and comprehensive” trade deal with the United Kingdom but later revealed only a framework for an agreement.

Most media outlets avoided going big with the “China trade deal” and emphasized Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent’s more measured claim of “substantial progress.” Turns out, the U.S. and China had made a significant agreement to temporarily reduce their tariffs while they keep talking, as was announced Monday. So the Trump regime’s ever-dwindling credibility had a cost, at least with some news outlets. But to a large extent, Trump still gets to shape his own coverage.

Donate Now [[link removed]]
I haven’t studied whether Trump’s media manipulation is worse during weekends, but I have my suspicions. This is not a slam against the savvy of weekend news crews. As someone who worked weekends for long stretches of my daily newspaper career, I understand the challenges. The experts on your staff aren’t always available. You have to do the best you can, sometimes with little consultation.

I think weekend reporters and editors are aware of what Trump is doing, but they may be less willing – and less authorized – to be interpretive. What’s the safest course? Report what people say. Let the fact-checking come later.

And that’s the way Trump likes it.

---
Email us: [email protected]

This message was sent to: [email protected].

Email is a critical way we communicate with grassroots supporters like you. However, if you would like to change your subscription preferences, here are some options:

Receive Fewer Emails: [link removed]
Update Your Information: [link removed]
Unsubscribe: unsubscribe: [link removed]

To give by check:

Courier Newsroom
Box 509
New York, NY 10032