The Bill of Rights is often heralded as one of the greatest pieces of nonfiction writing of modern times, and with good reason. Consider the First Amendment: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.”
In its role in so many aspects of life in the United States, the First Amendment has taken a part in shaping the past, present, and future of this great country.
Now, consider another important sentence, “Editorials reflect the majority opinion of the DI Editorial Board and not the opinion of the Publisher, Student Publications Inc., or the University of Iowa.” In every printed issue of The Daily Iowan, these words can be found alongside the editorials and columns presented in the Opinions section.
For the DI, as with nearly all other news sources in the country, editorials and opinions are treated as separate from news reporting — though still serving as a medium of reporting. In reporting the news, journalists relay the facts of a given scenario. In creating opinion pieces and editorials, the Opinions staff members express their opinions on popular topics; they do not turn facts into opinions.
Although, according to GOP front-runner, Donald Trump, that is exactly what the Des Moines Register did.
In fact, Trump was so adamant that the Register made up items about his campaign that he barred the paper’s reporters from attending a campaign event in Oskaloosa. However, it seems that Trump’s misguided campaign is under-informed yet again.
According to Trump’s Twitter account, he accuses the Register of lying. But the question remains, after reading the editorial — an opinion piece — what the Register could have possibly lied about?
The only facts that are included in the editorial are quotes of Trump ignorantly and shamefully insulting John McCain and, in the process, every other POW who has fought for the United States.
The headline of the Register editorial was “Trump should pull the plug on his bloviating sideshow,” and it is spot on.
In barring the largest newspaper in Iowa from campaign events, Trump has made yet another misstep in a campaign headlined by ignorant and ill-informed comments.
Fortunately, even Trump’s colossal ego could not keep Register reporters away from the Oskaloosa event — albeit as members of the public. From their positions in the audience, Register reporters were able to cover the event.
Trump used the picnic in Oskaloosa as an opportunity to attack yet another GOP candidate, Scott Walker. In his speech, Trump accused the Wisconsin governor of flip-flopping and claimed that Wisconsin was in terrible shape. However, Trump couldn’t even make it through the sentence explaining Wisconsin’s shortcomings before interjecting an irrelevant self-involved compliment about his impeccable memory.
Trump went on in his speech to criticize the press for falsely reporting on his campaign, yet another misstep by the Trump campaign.
In modern elections, it is no secret that marketing plays a huge role in the success of a campaign. This is how Trump has been able to find himself atop several polls. By treating the presidential election as a reality show, Trump has gained the attention of some American voters. Yet he continues to pursue these ignorant comments attacking the very industry that is responsible for his success.
Trump’s ability to stay atop the GOP through his series of blunders is nothing short of remarkable. Should he make it to debate season, it could very well be the beginning of another entertaining Trump reality show.
