Strikethrough is a new Vox video series breaking down challenges in journalism and news media under the Trump presidency.
Between the never-ending barrage of breaking news and overt hostility from White House officials, the first two weeks of the Trump administration have posed a challenge for major news networks. But one of the most telling signs of what the Trump-media relationship might look like over the next four years came the day after Trump’s inauguration.
During his first press briefing as White House press secretary, Sean Spicer told a silly, obvious lie about the size of Donald Trump’s inauguration crowd, calling it “the largest audience to ever witness an inauguration — period — both in person and around the globe.” That lie, along with several others Spicer told that week, reflected Trump’s own penchant for casual, blatant dishonesty. And it raised a tricky question for journalists who are used to seeing the White House as a credible source of information: How do you cover a White House that isn’t afraid to lie?
Will you support Vox’s explanatory journalism?
Most news outlets make their money through advertising or subscriptions. But when it comes to what we’re trying to do at Vox, there are a couple reasons that we can't rely only on ads and subscriptions to keep the lights on.
First, advertising dollars go up and down with the economy. We often only know a few months out what our advertising revenue will be, which makes it hard to plan ahead.
Second, we’re not in the subscriptions business. Vox is here to help everyone understand the complex issues shaping the world — not just the people who can afford to pay for a subscription. We believe that’s an important part of building a more equal society. We can’t do that if we have a paywall.
That’s why we also turn to you, our readers, to help us keep Vox free. If you also believe that everyone deserves access to trusted high-quality information, will you make a gift to Vox today?
Yes, I'll give $5/month
Yes, I'll give $5/month
We accept credit card, Apple Pay, and
Google Pay. You can also contribute via