Newsrooms aren’t doing us any favors when they present speculation as fact.
The rush by the press this week to suggest that White House Communications Director Michael Dubke’s resignation may be the beginning of a major Trump administration shakeup has been embarrassing for the simple fact that it’s a total guess.
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No one in the news media knows for a fact that the communication director’s exit marks the start of a significant staff changeup, and suggestions to that effect are pure speculation.
Guessing and theories are nice and all, but let’s stick to facts.
News broke Tuesday morning that Dubke would step down from his role after only three months on the job. The press was quick to suggest that the news basically confirmed anonymously sourced rumors alleging President Trump is eager for new blood in his administration.
“White House Communications Director Resigns as Shake-Up Begins” the New York Times reported.
Politico went with this: “Trump’s communications director is out as larger shakeup looms”
“Departure of communications aide could be first in Trump shake-up” said one Reuters headline.
Newsweek said separately, “TRUMP’S COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR, MIKE DUBKE, QUITS AS SHAKE-UP LOOMS.”
The big problem with these headlines and the heavily implied takeaway that the soon-to-be-former communications director is out now because of an impending shake-up is that Dubke reportedly tendered his resignation on May 18, several days before the changeup rumors even began.
Dubke also requested to stay on through the president’s recent overseas trip. His request was granted. This doesn’t exactly smack of the sort of shake-up news headlines are promising.
Amazingly enough, even with some of these reported details out there, major newsrooms have made no effort to dial back the White House shake-up speculation.
“Dubke exit seen as first shot in White House shake-up,” Reuters reported in the headline to a video short.
Good grief. Leave the wild speculation to the talking heads. No one expects them to know what they’re talking about anyway.
