ZEELAND, MI (WHTC) – Some in the media are concerned that the arrival of Donald Trump in the White House will further polarize government from those who report on their activities.
Last month, a group of 15 major journalism organizations wrote an open letter to the President-elect, asking him to “instill a spirit of openness and transparency” in his administration after Mr. Trump’s open contempt of the media during his campaign and beyond. There are concerns that his election will signal a change to a more direct way for officials and organizations to send their message through social media instead of through media organizations, something that may not be all that bad, according to Congressman Bill Huizenga.
The Zeeland Republican felt that his remarks last week to M-Live concerning his son’s broken arm were taken out of context by the media outlet, and Huizenga has been criticized by “liberal bloggers” whom he says haven’t reached out to him directly but are basing their opinions solely on the M-Live article. In his weekly conversation on “WHTC Morning News,” Huizenga said, “Why would I go use the filter of a journalist when I should be able to tell my own story on Facebook or my own website? They’re (print media) are accelerating their own irrelevance, frankly.”
M-Live reporter Shandra Martinez emailed WHTC News after this story was posted on Thursday, saying that she stands by her story and that she had quoted him accurately.
