United States | The muted megaphone

Donald Trump may find it harder to dominate America’s conversation

A more fragmented media is tougher to manage

Silhouette of Donald Trump speaking to the media outside the White House.
Fragmenter-in-chiefPhotograph: Getty Images

Donald Trump’s first term in office was a bracing experience for reporters, whom the president spent much of his time castigating. But it was a happier period for their bosses, who enjoyed a “Trump bump” in ratings and subscriptions. The second Trump term promises to be different. Old-school television viewership has collapsed as audiences flip to entertainment-focused streaming. At the same time the social-media landscape, which Mr Trump once dominated with his Twitter megaphone, has fragmented. As political news is squeezed out of both old and new media, it is becoming harder to control America’s conversation.

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This article appeared in the United States section of the print edition under the headline “The muted megaphone”

From the December 7th 2024 edition

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