Lincoln's Advice to Mainstream Media

Lincoln’s Advice to Today’s Mainstream Media

The View from the Middle

As I retired from P&G, I wrote a book called Mastering Sales, and I certainly encourage you all to visit Amazon and buy it.  In that book I quoted one of my favorite Presidents, Abraham Lincoln, in my chapter on leadership.  I believe that one of Lincoln’s vital qualities that made him a great leader was his love for people.  I use a quote from Lincoln to demonstrate his affection for the common man.  Lincoln said,

“If you look for the bad in mankind expecting to find it, you surely will.”

And of course, the opposite is true.  If you look for the good in people, expecting to find it, you surely will also.  Lincoln was talking about the importance of perspective in everyone’s thinking.  What is your predisposition in any situation, particularly in your assessment of people?

I would suggest that the mainstream media has a built in favor for Obama and an inherent prejudice against Donald Trump.  Let me give you some hypothetical examples.

Obama - Saves 1,000 jobs at Carrier right before Christmas:

Mainstream Media – Obama is an incredibly compassionate person and a savvy negotiator rolled into one!  Merry Christmas!  I mean, Happy Holidays.

Trump – Saves 1,000 jobs at Carrier right before Christmas:

MSM – Trump is destroying the free market.  This is just an example of too much government intrusion, and the world it going to end.

Obama  - Takes a congratulatory call from Taiwan President, Tsai Ing-Wen:

MSM – Obama is brilliant and thoughtful.  He is breaking the shackles of the past and forging a new relationship with a strategic partner.

Trump - Takes a congratulatory call from Taiwan President, Tsai Ing-Wen.

MSM – Trump is a thoughtless, bumbling idiot and is destroying all the great progress we have made with China in the last eight years.  (Progress with China?  Really?)  Oh, and the world is going to end.

Obama – It’s been three weeks since he won the election and Obama has only nominated one person to his cabinet:

MSM – Obama is thoroughly and thoughtfully vetting all candidates which clearly means that his cabinet will be awesome.

Trump – It’s been three hours since Trump won the election and Trump hasn’t filled his cabinet.

MSM – The Trump transition team is in utter chaos and no one even wants to be in his cabinet.  Oh yah, and the world is going to end.  No fear mongering here!

I don’t think I have to remind my readers that I am not a “Trump or die” supporter.  Do I have concerns?  Sure.  The world is a scary, complicated place, and the mainstream media has changed their role from “reporting” to “sabotage”.  It is difficult enough to run the most powerful country in the world with the press playing their intended role as reporters of fact and watchdogs.  Today, the mainstream media is actually trying to derail the Trump administration before it even gets started.

To the mainstream media - if you really want America to prosper, you will want this President to be successful, whether you voted for him or not.  Listen to the wise counsel of one of our greatest presidents.  Occasionally, look for the good in Trump, expecting to find it, and you surely will.  At least don’t start with a negative preconceived notion and then write your story to support it.

PS – Here’s a link to my book.  Check it out!

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=mastering+sales+kevin+canfield