Forget about the Trump assassination attempt

[mountaineer]

Forget about the Trump assassination attempt
An incurious media memory-holes the MAGA rally shooting
By Drew Holden
Spectator, Oct. edition

Someone attempted to kill a former president of the United States. Live on camera. The would-be assassin failed, but the moment did produce one lasting, indelible image: Donald J. Trump, fist raised, blood streaming down his face, an American flag soaring triumphantly overhead.

The effort to minimize the assassination attempt started moments after the shots rang out. CNN’s initial headline was “Secret Service rushes Trump off stage after he falls at rally.” Why did he fall, out of the blue? Who knows! NBC described Trump being evacuated “after popping noises [were] heard” at the rally. The Los Angeles Times said Trump was “whisked off stage after loud noises rang through the crowd.” USA Today said it was after “loud noises startle[d] [the] former president.” “Startled”?! He’d been shot in the ear, escaping death only because he’d turned his head at the last minute! The inanity of it all was too much to bear — and these headlines were all issued after the Associated Press had confirmed what anyone with a social media feed knew to be the case: someone had shot at the former president.

Journalists may have been unimpressed but the broader culture took notice. 50 Cent released a meme superimposing Trump’s face over his own at a concert where he performed “Many Men,” a song about an attempt on his own life. Even the TikTokkers, not exactly Trump’s target demo, had to admit: Trump, fist raised, yelling “fight, fight, fight,” as blood dripped off his face, was cool. And an American flag as the backdrop? C’mon.

Naturally, those who control the flow of information could not deny the power of the image, but they could bury it. A photo editor from a major outlet told Axios that newsrooms should memory-hole the image, warning against “free PR” for Trump. Media across the country, having witnessed Trump’s favorability ranking rise right after the shooting, followed the anonymous journo’s advice. The image fell by the wayside not only in newsroom coverage, but across the web. Facebook, Google and other search engines allegedly suppressed results further. ...