Poynter Institute: The good, the bad, the ugly of Trump’s appearance with NABJ — Excerpt
Before Donald Trump even took the stage on Wednesday for a Q&A with reporters at the National Association of Black Journalists gathering in Chicago, there was a major split about whether he should have been invited in the first place.
After the Q&A abruptly came to an end and in the hours that followed, the controversy was alive and well, and the divide remained far and wide.
For many, it was an insightful interview that showed the public exactly what Trump thinks and how he acts, and validated the reason for inviting him. For others, it was a dumpster fire of chaos that accomplished very little except to prove NABJ made a mistake in inviting him to spew insults and dodge valid questions.
Perhaps those differing viewpoints were partially based on how people felt before the Q&A.
Going into Wednesday, some believed that a candidate for president absolutely should be invited to such an important convention. There, seasoned journalists could ask the candidate tough questions about their policies and resumé, and get insight on the topics that affect the Black community.
On the other side, the argument was that Trump is not a normal candidate, and that he should not be given a platform to continue rhetoric that they feel has been disrespectful to Black Americans and journalists, and the media overall.
