ABSTRACT
The role of a free, open and critical press has always been central to democracy. In this chapter the changing structure of modern media industries are examined—print, broadcast and digital—to see how traditional functions of editing, story selection and reportorial investigation have been short-circuited in a new business environment devoted more to audience engagement than to providing the public with information. We also explore in detail how Trump, in particular, mastered the process of making himself newsworthy while simultaneously circumventing critical scrutiny of his actions. The chapter ends with an exploration of the ambiguous nature of new digital and independent social media outlets that are susceptible to both conspiratorial alt-right community building and, at the same time, to a viable, critical community of independent investigative journalism.
