>The way Trump deals with the media is right out of the fascist dictator handbook:
>
>1) Create and spread unfounded fear - pick a group and blame them for all that's wrong
>2) Repeat over and over to the citizens that the news agency's are lying to them - goal is to be people not to believe anything they say
>3) Expand your power base through nepotism and corruption
>4) Cast doubt upon the other branches over government (like the judicial branch)) by falsely accusing them of being unable to do their job (works best if you combine with #1 - for example 'this judge is unable to hear the case because he has Mexican parents'.
>5) Buddy up with other fascist leaders - you'll need them to talk great about you can you can do the same for them.
>6) Destroy - or at least screw up - other departments of the government so there is plenty of chaos at all times. Wear the citizens down. No need to educate the general population - you'll need them stupid so they fall in line.
>7) Scrap alliances and treaties - need to keep the chaos going and buddy up with your new dictator friends.
>8) Claim that you can only you can fix all that is wrong - this way there is an ideology of you being like a god.
>
>......so Trump saying 'fake news fake news fake news' and having others go on air to present 'alternative facts' is right on par with what to expect here. Trump is a pathological liar - which is a mental heath issue, and he's 70. He's not going to suddenly have fiddelity for the facts - now or ever.

Fidelity to the facts is for those who value them.
Trump repeatedly attacked the media during speeches and press conferences, predicting at one point that press reports would portray him negatively the next day (at the same time proclaiming that he was having a good time). During his rants, pointing at all the cameras and news reporters present, he called them "disgusting reporters, horrible people"... Since all-including comments like that are very likely to become self-fulfilling, that's how we ended up with the "dishonest media", whose every negative comment is labeled "fake news". I've seen this tactic applied in other parts of the world where discrediting the messenger had a much more chilling outcome. Coincidentally, Trump seems to have praises for the "strong leaders" of such countries. Fortunately, in this country, free speech is still protected, and the worst you get as a reporter is a label of "fake news" from POTUS.
But, what about the real news? Aren't there any? Rhetorical question, of course ;-)
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