What it’s like combating fake news from the White House in the age of Trump

How does one combat false facts and misinformation stemming from a man who arguably wields the loudest megaphone in the world; a man who, despite your allegiance to the country he leads, identifies you as the “enemy of the American people”?

It’s a question I have asked myself nearly every single day since Donald Trump was elected president of the United States in 2016. His bombastic attacks against the press have created an unprecedented level of conflict between two of the most important institutions in the country – the White House and the free press.

When five people were killed during a mass shooting in a Maryland newsroom, many wondered why his response wasn’t more strident. One of his supporters sent explosives to news networks and Democratic officials across the country. Trolls now regularly send deaths threats to me and my colleagues for reporting even the most mundane stories about this presidency.

Yet, I still firmly believe that the Oval Office – and whoever earns the distinction of sitting behind the Resolute desk – deserves respect from the journalists tasked with covering Washington.

As a reporter working at The Independent’s bureau in New York City, I follow Mr Trump closely: each day, I track the president’s tweets, monitor his schedule, speak to experts about his administration’s policies and actively probe the controversies surrounding his White House and re-election campaign.

I would be lying if I said Mr Trump’s attacks on the media industry – a field I have long admired and have always been proud to work in – didn’t affect my life or emotions, along with his attacks on immigrants, minorities, allies and war heroes. But I still work to avoid having any bias in my reporting on the presidency.

Here’s how: under Mr Trump, I have sought to inject facts into the misleading comments with which he seeks to control the news cycle on any given day. That way, rather than responding to the president’s misstatements with personal reactions, we’re informing the public about the truth.

When the president deemed climate change “fake” in a recent morning tweet, for example, we fact-checked him in the headline so even folks who don’t click on the story knew he was misleading the public: “Trump repeats false claim there is no climate crisis as he brands science ‘fake’.”

While fact-checking Mr Trump has become a regular part of my day job, my top responsibility is still to provide the most factual and relevant – albeit critical – look at his presidency to the public. If some wish to send death threats, so be it.

Yours,

Chris Riotta
US Reporter