Political fights in Washington have boiled down to the news media’s word against the Trump administration’s word, leaving voters to decide on their own which side they trust, and frequently, with little information.

In the last week, the media have published damaging stories about the White House, mostly dealing with Russia and based on anonymous sources. In each case, an administration official of consequence has gone on the record to refute the report with neither the White House nor reporters able to prove the validity of either side.