Trump attacks revive journalism, comedy

For all the concerns about fake news and a post-truth White House, there's this silver lining: President Trump's controversial month-old presidency may be injecting new life into journalism. The New York Times reports that journalists feel the rapid-pace of covering Mr. Trump is reviving the craft, reminding some of journalism's vital role in covering transformational events. Some, like Dan Rather, compare recent scandals to Watergate.

One prominent characteristic of the Trump White House is an unprecedented number of leaks, leading to significant stories broken by the Times, the Washington Post, and others. The most recent spate of leaks led to the resignation of National Security Advisor Flynn. The incident has led to some introspection among journalists, asking what it all means.

During the election campaign he showed a fondness for leaks, but now the president directly blames the resignation on journalism—what he calls 'fake news'—and leaks.

Meanwhile, the president's attacks on journalists in general and "the failing" New York Times in particular, continues unabated. The question is, is this a good or bad thing for journalism? On one hand, some journalists see Mr. Trump as a threat to the future of journalism. Yet, subscriptions are up dramatically at the New York Times, and following the election subscriptions spiked at Vanity Fair, another Trump target. And that's not to mention what the new administration has done for comedy, specially SNL.

One thing is clear: You are entering the field of journalism at a particularly interesting moment.