'Enemies of the People: Trump and the Political Press' Education Collection

Retro Report pulls back the curtain on campaign coverage for a revealing look at how President Trump’s rhetoric – and the response by news organizations – have reshaped journalism.

Watch the full film here, or broken up into three chapters, below.

As Donald Trump began his candidacy, the press struggled to determine how to cover him. Was his candidacy a publicity stunt? Would he be taken seriously by voters? As Trump moved through early primaries and garnered increasing media attention, his attacks on journalists were just beginning.

Hostility by politicians toward the media is nothing new. From Nixon to Reagan to Clinton and others, wariness and tension were often the norm in political coverage. However, a changing media landscape, with the proliferation of social media and the 24-hour news cycle, meant that tensions were ratcheted up even further.

Trump's rocky relationship with the press continued through the general election and into his presidency. His ability to turn his supporters against the mainstream media left many in the press wondering if their connection to media consumers had fundamentally changed, and if the role of the media in covering politics was irreparably damaged.