Emergency crews in Los Angeles are showing remarkable bravery and tenacity in the nearly week-long battle against a relentless mega fire. They and everyone else impacted by these fires deserve the nation’s support, not harassment, threats and lie-filled tirades from the incoming U.S. president.
Yet while the second-largest city in the country faces an unprecedented crisis, the next president is spewing nonsense about FEMA funding, water availability and a little fish called the Delta smelt.
Lies that ricocheted around the internet with the help of Musk and Trump’s newest collaborator, Mark Zuckerberg, who just banned fact checks on Facebook. Other MAGA acolytes have also added their own vicious propaganda to the mix, including the right’s now common racist dog whistle about DEI. All of this lying by Trump and his MAGA hordes has resulted in numerous fact-checks by reputable news organizations. California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office even created a fire fact-check website that’s similar to an effort by FEMA last year when Trump also couldn’t help but spread dangerous falsehoods about the North Carolina hurricane relief efforts.
This is the Trump playbook. He’s a liar and a bully. And just like co-president Elon Musk, he’s also an attention hog. Knowing all that, why can’t some journalists simply stop taking the bait? Why again are his lies in headlines of major newspapers or news stories built around MAGA bigotry?
Why instead, aren’t national reporters and columnists pointing out that a normal human being would express concern for the victims of the disaster? Or that a person with a shred of humanity and a moral compass would thank the incredibly courageous first responders? Or counter his false claims by focusing on the challenging yet massive coordinated government response to an emergency? I know we are 10 years into this madness, but I’m still stunned by how Trump continues to benefit from national news reporting that normalizes his abnormal behavior.
Luckily, the local news in Los Angeles is mostly ignoring Trump’s rants and focusing on what matters: the fire itself. The Los Angeles Times took down its paywall to make its coverage available to everyone, a welcome move for a newspaper recently in turmoil over its owners pro-Trump meddling. The Times’ fire coverage is top rate, including the dramatic pictures by the Times stellar photo team.
Local TV news in L.A. is also doing critical work. CNN media critic Brian Stelter wrote, “When the fires are at their worst, southern California’s TV stations are at their best.” He’s right.
A scan of the L.A.’s TV news station websites and social media feeds show just how committed those local news operations are to reporting news that truly matters the embattled community including the latest warnings and evacuation notices; up to date maps of fire damage, where to get help, how to stay safe and key information people need like if they can drink the water or go back to school. Even the local Fox station is focused on the massive blaze with barely a nod to Trump’s diatribes.
Former local and network news producer Dan Primer told me watching the L.A. fire coverage is riveting but also potentially lifesaving. “I was watching KCAL, and the local weather person was breaking down not only where the fires currently are but also showing the direction of the wind. It was scary stuff but important. Friends of mine evacuated their home after seeing that news.”
Keeping people informed about critical things like fire evacuations and changing winds is the job. Journalists in L.A. get that, and the community there is better off because of it. It’s truly shameful that Trump’s lies and the MAGA conspiracy theories are drawing attention away from what really matters. But this is our reality now. Our changing climate has guaranteed that there will be more natural disasters, and we know that Trump will lie about all of it.
We may not be able to fix the open sewer lines on X, Facebook, Fox and other right-wing media that will continue to give Trump oxygen, but we news consumers still have an important role to play. That includes supporting news outlets and individual reporters that embrace the critical role of journalism in our everyday lives and also refuse to normalize the fire hazard that is Trump.
Jennifer Schulze is a Chicago journalist talking about journalism. You can read her columns at Heartland Signal and on her Substack “Indistinct Chatter.” Follow Jennifer on Bluesky @newsjennifer.bsky.social or Threads @newsjennifer_schulze.