David Brewster
Amid all the commentary on the presidential debate, I find this article most interesting. It traces Trump’s mastery of new media, through sensation and threading plot lines that other media can’t resist. It’s catching up with him now, but I worry that other politicians, such as Ted Cruz, will learn from this new road map to notoriety, celebrity outrages (and forgiveness), and base-rousing. Key quote: “A forceful personality with an unparalleled reality-television pedigree, Mr. Trump was perfectly primed to take advantage of the increasingly happy marriage between the news and entertainment sides of the media business — becoming a textbook candidate for the modern infotainment era of which he was already a product.”
Donald J. Trump deftly used the blending of news and entertainment to build a brand, and then a campaign. But all that drama has turned into a big, messy show.
NYTIMES.COM|BY JIM RUTENBERG