ABSTRACT
Donald Trump played to traditionally recognized news values and used them to his distinct advantage. Reporters, producers, and editors often operate with a common understanding of what makes something "news," often referred to in journalism education as "news values." Three news values in particular proved important in Trump's run: novelty, prominence, and conflict. The landslide of traditional news coverage was an important but not sole media factor in Trump's rise to the GOP nomination. As a leader, Trump is subverting the public reasoning necessary to liberal democracy. His emphasis on creating conflict through social and other media comments, and his supporters' extension of that conflict stature, undermine the system of cooperation that has made the United States a stable social, political, and economic concern for two centuries. Longstanding principles of journalism ethics could help meet the challenge of forging an effective and egalitarian public sphere if they disperse beyond newsrooms and influence other public communicators.
