Former Globe editor: Trump election shows country needs good investigative journalism

The media has come in for a beating during the 2016 election and has been placed in a precarious position, but former Joplin Globe Editor Edgar Simpson sees reporters' trials and tribulations as an opportunity.

Simpson, now a professor at Central Michigan University, told the university's newspaper, Central Michigan Life, that Trump created problems for the media from the outset:

“The media would repeatedly cover Trump as if his positions were a real thing, then find (a source) that says Trump’s positions were not a real thing,” he said. “What it does is it leads the audience into thinking there is a legitimate debate. No, there never was a debate. Nobody ever thought Trump could physically move 11 million people or ban a religion, but yet the media made it seem that way.”

Since then, Trump has made a point of attacking the media and covering his administration creates problems for reporters, Simpson said.

Moving forward, Simpson said the media may struggle to maintain credibility during a Trump presidency, but will also have a great opportunity to serve a vital role as a watchdog.

“As much as journalism is in danger right now, it’s also a massive opportunity to prove, as it has several times in the past, that it is needed, it is essential and there is no way forward without good, penetrating, investigative journalism. That’s what this country needs right now.”