Editor’s note: The views expressed by guest columnists are not necessarily those of The Costa Rica Star, its advertisers, or its staff. 

By Britt Nelson

The Democrats last dying gasp for air collapsed Monday as Electoral College electors sealed the deal for President-elect Donald Trump to receive the oath of office on Jan. 20 thereby taking over the Executive Branch of the United States government.

Trump won 306 Electoral College votes on Nov. 8 and came out on top again Monday with 304 votes losing only two compared to Democrat Hillary Clinton who lost five votes with a final tally of 227, according to Real Clear Politics.

Arriving in Tallahassee, Fl., Sunday night Electoral College elector John Browning from Palatka, Fl., said he felt “blessed” to represent his town, his state and the country in this constitutionally required certification of the controversial Nov. 8 general election. He, like the other 537 electors from every state, has received thousands of calls, letters and emails from anti-Trump supporters urging him not to vote for the New York billionaire, but Browning thought otherwise.

“I can’t wait to cast my vote for Donald J. Trump … I’ve been overwhelmed with letters, emails and calls. The Post Office gives me my mail in big totes. You name it, I’ve gotten it,” Browning told the Costa Rica Star News prior to Monday’s Electoral College vote in the Senate chamber at the Florida capitol. “The protesters are at the Capitol with candles. I guess they will stay all night. Security is tight … Florida will be strong for Trump.”

Now that it’s all officially over for the Democrats except for all the crying, sour grapes and a bad case of loser fever, a joint session of the U.S. Congress will convene on Jan. 6 presided over by Vice President Joe Biden. Each state will be polled alphabetically; their Electoral College votes recorded and Biden will then ceremoniously announce the winner and that moment will be sweet for Trump.

Mainstream media has treated this constitutional ratification as if it was a whole new election even bringing in numerous Hollywood celebrities to plead with Electoral College electors to turn against Trump and revolt. This behavior by the media will not go unnoticed. The changes soon to be seen in how the media covers this new president are long overdue. Some may be quite painful for the White House Press Corps.

There are laws pertaining to freedoms of the press and access to all government officials certainly including the president of the United States. The media seems to have forgotten who they represent and why they exist. It’s rather simple really. The media is supposed to tell the citizens what’s going on in their neighborhood without expressions of personal opinion, corporate desire or advertiser’s demands and without consideration of special interests or lobbyists. The neighborhood can be the local, state, national or world level. The people need and want to know what’s happening around them and it’s the duty of the ‘unbiased’ media to let them know. The media’s awesome responsibility to a free society has been grossly abused during Campaign 2016.

Sometimes the public misinterprets political commentators as news reporters, which they are not. News reporters get into trouble every time they ask questions of commentators or editorial writers about this subject or that. They are not legitimate sources. The commentator is there to analyze news events and trends to attempt to make sense of it all, whether or not you agree with them.

There is little or no confidence in the media these days not to mention the epidemic of digital fake news on social media such as Facebook or Twitter. Right now there is an effort on social media to nominate the ‘Top Ten’ fake news stories of the year and vote for the best one. OMG. LOL. SMH.

Soon Trump will announce his choice for press secretary, a position coveted by members of the media. Several names have been mentioned including Laura Ingraham and Kimberly Guilfoyle, both with FOX News. Whoever Trump selects will have to deal with a mostly hostile media that Trump fought with throughout the campaign and to the present. But the winds of change are about to invade the White House Press Corps, a group of journalists that are stationed in the West Wing of the White House. They represent mass communications: television, print media, Internet-based reporting, and radio.

Under President Obama the White House Press Corps had free reign with daily press briefings from Press Secretary Josh Earnest and occasional press conferences with the president. Under President Trump, the Press Corps will be lucky to even accompany the president on Air Force One as they have in the past.

There are laws regarding freedom of the press, but giving them a free ride isn’t one of them.

 

About the Author

Britt Nelson relocated to Costa Rica in 2011 from Florida, where he served as news editor for the Palatka Daily News, a newspaper owned by the New York Times Regional Newspaper Group (NYT-RNG) for 20 years.

Nelson served the NYT-RNG for 18 years in Tennessee, Kentucky, Virginia, North Carolina and Florida as a correspondent, reporter, staff writer, senior staff writer training new reporters, copy editor, page designer, editorial writer, editorial page editor and editorial board member.