Donald Trump's presidency, like many before him, has been defined by his relationships. The president has made enemies with many, most notably the journalists he calls "fake news."

A country's leaders and its watchdogs, usually the press, are seen as natural enemies. The two are intended to serve and protect the people, but one typically serves themselves and the other page views; both are corrupt. The term fake news has been thrown around quite a lot recently, mostly by our President who has also faced his own controversies.

https://twitter.com/realdonaldtrump/status/8327082...

As seen above, President Trump called out leftist media such as the New York Times and CNN as not his personal enemies, but the enemy of the American people.

Trump has surpassed his favorite insult "fake news" and has moved on to accuse the media of not only lies but being treason.

In response, several close allies to the President were forced to give their opinion on the matter. Ivanka Trump and Melania Trump, daughter and wife to the President, both publicly said the press is not the enemy of the state. Sarah Sanders, the White House press secretary, refused to dispute Trump's claim.

Often called the fourth branch of government, journalism serves to inform the public on the world around them. This unfortunately often includes reporting on scandals and missteps made by elected officials. The two parties are constantly vying for two different goals; the media wishes to receive the views (and ad revenue), while politicians plot for reelection.

This endless tug-of-war is not a new game. In fact, Trump's comment "enemy of the American people" is something very similar to phrases former US presidents have said before. A more common wording is "enemy of the state." When directed towards journalists, this implies the reporters are fraudulent schemers, manipulating facts for their own self-interest. Somewhat unsurprisingly, many of the men who have accused the media of being "enemies of the state" have committed their own villainous acts.

Our Founding Fathers began a long tradition of presidents fighting with the media. In a letter, Thomas Jefferson once said: "Nothing can now be believed which is seen in a newspaper." Despite drafting the Declaration of Independence, Jefferson faced several controversies which were discussed in the early papers of the new country.

Another Rushmore president, Theodore Roosevelt, had a notoriously tense relationship with journalists during his presidency. So-called yellow journalists wrote on scandals and rumors instead of news, often hurting the president and his cabinet. Roosevelt coined the term "muckrakers" to refer to these less than genuine journalists.

The president with the most famous hatred towards the media is Richard Nixon. He declared members of the press his enemy, with the Washington Post his arch nemesis. The Post was the organization to break the Watergate scandal, which led to Nixon's resignation.

As you can see, Trump is not unique in his dislike for the media. Many presidents before him had tense relations with the journalists who covered them in their years in office. Many of the presidents who had issues with the media were seen as benevolent by the public and history.

That said, journalism has changed.

Presidents are no longer surrounded by a handful of correspondents who have to physically carry their written notes back to the newsroom in order for them to be reported. In the 21st century, every citizen with a smartphone has the ability to break news. We live in an era of a 24-hour news cycle. Any move one of our leaders makes can be recorded and shared. Gone are the days where the president and his cabinet are able to carefully craft the public image they wished the American people to see.

Journalism acts as a mirror, and many don't like their reflection.

Trump has dealt with this modern form of news several times. He has been caught in situations saying inappropriate and offensive things in public and private and has faced the consequences. Twenty years ago situations like these were unheard of. There was a wall of operation between the private and public lives of officials. Today individuals in the public eye must be aware of their actions at all times. There is no forgiveness for mistakes, and Trump is one of the first to learn that even mistakes behind closed doors go unforgiven.

We live in a constantly evolving world. President Trump belongs to an era of elite "good old boys" that have ruled our country and most of Western society for centuries. This classist outlook is quickly evolving in a more democratic system, where individuals of any upbringing and race or gender can become successful. People who cling to their beliefs that women, or minorities, or the LGBTQ are lesser are finding they are losing support from a more accepting society.

Donald Trump is part of this dying breed of high bred socialites. He uses this frustration to attack the media, while the press is only revealing to the people and to Trump himself that his views are outdated and unacceptable.

Many presidents have made enemies out of the press, but Donald Trump has the ability to change that. If he wishes to change his relations with the media, he needs to change his attitude and tactics. We live in a new era of journalism, so we should move forward with new outlooks to this always listening, always active industry.