The American media is trying to treat Trump like a normal presidential candidate. He is not. He has been found guilty of rape and defamation of his victim in a civil trial and faces 91 federal indictments. He is on the brink of losing the right to practice business in New York State because of a long history of malfeasance.

He calls the people convicted in the insurrection “hostages” and cheered on the riot, which included a life-sized mock gallows and shouts of “hang Pence,” from his bully pulpit.

He has difficulty speaking coherently at his campaign events, in television interviews, and in his numerous court appearances. His speech patterns reflect someone who is twenty years older than Biden (who is only three years older and is reliably coherent).

Headlines rarely reflect these facts. These corrected headlines are meant as a guide to help young headline writers at large media outlets on how to write a proper headline for stories regarding Trump. Every news story should include, as a primary talking point, references to the indictments, the insurrection, and his failing mental health.

Most of the focus of this headline corrector will be on so-called left-leaning outlets, especially the New York Times, which has an outsized influence and should know (and do) better. We already know what Fox does. There is no need to cover their malfeasance or give them more publicity than they already have. Some outlets, such as The Chicago Tribune, are decidedly centrist or historically right-leaning but have not endorsed Trump in the past.

These headlines are sorted by newest first. Note that the headlines sometimes change, so the links may no longer reflect what I have reported here.

January 2024

New York Times, January 31, 2024

Headline: Man Is Charged With Killing His Father After Posting Grisly YouTube Video

Comment: Part of the mainstream media’s responsibility is to attach Trump and his goons to people who behead their fathers and post their deeds on YouTube while screaming Trumpian right-wing epithets and screeds. These kinds of things weren’t happening before Trump came to town. If he’s re-elected, things will get worse. The New York Times will be partly responsible

Correction: Man Echoing Trump Speeches Charged With Beheading Father And Posting It On YouTube

New York Times, January 30, 2024

Headline: How the Border Crisis Shattered Biden’s Immigration Hopes

Comment: This is an especially nefarious article from the New York Times that barely touches upon Republicans’ successful campaign to politicize immigration. The article is essentially a hit job. The convoys of Republican bus charters to urban areas are turned into a Biden issue. Reporters Michael D. Shear and Zolan Kanno-Youngs are almost embarrassing in their refusal to report the immigration issue from an honest perspective that includes Republican intransigence and the use of illegal means of treading on migrant rights.

Correction: How Republicans Have Thwarted Every Attempt at Immigration Reform

General comments on coverage of the New Hampshire Primary

No matter what you think of Nikki Haley, she is the one who has been victorious among the many, many men who tried to beat Trump, and have all fallen. But rather than give a woman this victory, the mass media has chosen to focus on Trump’s “dominance.” No credit is being given to her, at all, of her ability to be the last one standing.

Also, Biden won the New Hampshire primary by 40 points, even though he wasn’t on the ballot and his nearest competitor, Dean Phillips, who received less than 20% of the vote, was. Biden also didn’t campaign in New Hampshire. Phillips did. No mention in the media of this rather wild result. Not bad for an old guy, huh? One thing that has been consistent during Biden’s time in the presidential limelight: He is always underestimated, partly because the press deems it so.

New York Times, January 25, 2024

Headline: Trump Strengthens Grip on Capitol Hill as He Presses Toward Nomination

Comment: That powerful, muscular man is crushing Congress with one bare hand! Also, he has no control over Democrats. Change your headline.

Correction: Congressional Republicans Form a Line  To Beg for Trump’s Mercy

New York Times, January 23, 2024

Headline: Trump’s Win Adds to Air of Inevitability as Haley Sharpens Edge

Comment: No mention of indictments or rape/defamation conviction in civil court. No mention of insurrection. At least reporter Michael Gold included this report in a separate headline on their update page: Trump seethes after Haley refuses to quit the race. So that’s a step forward, I guess.

Correction:
New York Times Reporter Shane Goldmacher Joins Chorus of Mass Media Subservience to Candidate with 91 Felony Convictions

New York Times (newsletter), January 23, 2024

Headline: Donald Trump easily defeated Nikki Haley, casting doubt on her continued viability in the G.O.P. presidential race.

Comment: The article linked to in the newsletter is more restrained in its headline: Trump Defeats Haley, but She Vows to Stay in Race. The article features a video of Trump babbling and taking hateful shots at Haley.

Correction:
Donald Trump easily defeated Nikki Haley, casting doubt on an electorate that seems oblivious to his criminal indictments and rape/defamation conviction in civil court.

CNN, January 23, 2024

Headline: Trump makes history again as he powers toward Republican nomination

Comment: Wait. What? Well, it gets worse. The lead sentence is, “Nothing seems to be stopping Donald Trump as he surges toward his third consecutive Republican nomination.” Unlike the New York Times, CNN at least gets part of it right in the story: “Despite a crush of criminal liability and the memory of his assault on democracy on January 6, 2021, he is consolidating his party around him at a rate unprecedented in modern primary elections.” But, as usual with mainstream media, they buried the lede.

Correction:
Trump’s 91 felony indictments and assault on democracy not enough to stop 55% of New Hampshire Republican primary voters.

Lead sentence correction:
Trump’s 91 felony indictments don’t seem to be slowing down Republican subservience to Trump’s Hate Campaign

New York Times, January 23, 2024

Headline: It’s Fair to Ask: Is the Republican Race Over?

Comment: It gets worse in the article, where Times pollster/reporter spews out stuff like, “In other Republican primaries, numbers like these will yield a rout,” in reference to the cross-party vote Nikki Haley received. There is no  reference to Trump’s degenerating mind and cognitive skills and only a minor reference to his 91 felony indictments with a vague, “Mr. Trump’s legal challenges add an extra twist.” Legal challenges? His conviction is more likely than Nikki’s rout. This is called self-fulfilled prophesying through reporting, and it’s as bad as Trump himself. Nate Cohn has lost all credibility as a reporter.

Correction:
New Hampshire Republican Voters Choose Candidate With 91 Felony Indictments To Be Their President.

Plus: a complete rewrite of the story itself, which makes almost no reference to Trump’s clear cognitive collapse, his rape case, for which a civil court jury found him guilty, or his 91 felony indictments, which should be included in every story about him.

New York Times, January 22, 2024: 8:25 EST, New Hampshire Primary Night

Headline: Trump Defeats Haley, Fueling His Drive Toward G.O.P. Nomination

Comment: The unstoppable Mr. Trump. Meanwhile, hidden in all the ecstasy the New York Times feels about the insurrectionist’s hold on so many Republicans, was this little snippet from one of their reporters:

Haley won Hanover (home to Dartmouth College) 86-13, a stark illustration of Trump’s weakness among college graduates

Correction: AP calls GOP New Hampshire primary early, but huge cracks begin to show

New York Times, January 22, 2024: 8:25 EST, New Hampshire Primary Night

Headline: Trump’s victory leaves Haley reeling.

Comment: The polls had been closed less than 25 minutes when this headline was issued when she was about 8 points behind. On the live NYT blog where that irresponsible headline by reporter Shane Goldmacher appeared, another New York Times reporter, Jazmine Ulloa, wrote: “At the Nikki Haley election watch party in Concord, the music is blasting and the crowd is upbeat, despite Haley’s loss. On stage, dozens of supporters are waving Haley signs and chanting, “Nikki, Nikki,” as she takes the stage.”

Another reporter, Nick Corasaniti, wrote: “Haley is using a victory lap-tone in her speech, reminiscent of Senator Marco Rubio in 2016.”

That’s not reeling.

Correction:
Nikki Haley approaches 50% of the vote in battle against Trump, vows to fight on.

CNBC, January 22, 2024

Headline: Wall Street opposition to Trump collapses, as ‘pipe dream’ of primary defeat ends

Comment: As Nikki Haley herself, who is rarely quotable, said, “We’ve had 56,000 people vote for Donald Trump, and you’re going to say that’s what the country wants?” The media is deciding the primaries for Republicans voters, encouraging them to stay home and not bother with voting.

Correction:
Will Wall Street leaders also become Trump sycophants if Haley loses in New Hampshire?

New York Times, January 22, 2024

Headline: Haley Mounts Last Stand in New Hampshire Against an Ascendant Trump

Comment: So. He really is a god!!
Correction:
Haley Mounts Last Stand in New Hampshire Against Trump’s Hate Machine

Politico, January 21, 2024

Headline: The most hotly contested GOP primary isn’t for president. It’s for VP.

Comment: Tell it like it is. Stop building this man up.
Correction:
The most hotly contested GOP primary isn’t for president. It’s for VP of a politician facing 91 felony indictments.
Republicans are rushing to get on their knees before a man found guilty of rape and defamation in a New York civil court.

New York Times, January 21, 2024

Headline: Ron DeSantis Drops Out of Presidential Race and Endorses Trump

Comment: None of this is normal.
Correction:
Ron DeSantis Drops Out of Presidential Race and Expresses Fealty to Trump

Deseret News, January 21, 2024

Once a Romney enclave, this New Hampshire town is turning into ‘Trump country’

Comment: The unstoppable freight train (full of toxic waste) that is Trump
Correction:
Once a Romney enclave, this New Hampshire town is now infected with the cult of MAGA

New York Times, January 20, 2024

For the Anti-Trump Wing of the G.O.P., It All Comes Down to Tuesday

Comment:  The term “anti-Trump wing” no longer fits in this reference to the New Hampshire “primary,” because there really isn’t one in the Republican Party. A new term must be invented. Something that refers to the few normal people who haven’t gotten the boot. The anti-crazies, maybe?

Correction:
Will Tuesday mark the formal end of what was left of normalcy in the Republican Party?

Chicago Tribune (via AP), January 20, 2024

Haley’s heritage a target for Trump

Comment: Can you calm down a little? (sarcasm font not available)

Correction:
Trump attacks Nikki Haley with racist innuendo

New York Times, January 19, 2024

America Stares Down a Trump-Biden Repeat in Disbelief and Denial

Comment: America is staring down the prospect of a fascist, authoritarian president. Biden has stated he probably wouldn’t be running if not for the threat of Trump. Is it a problem Biden doesn’t trust Democrats to beat Trump without him? Yes. So? Still a horseshit headline and story. The fix for this one is easy.
Correction:
America Faces Trump’s Return in Disbelief and Denial

Another potential correction, since deep into the article the writer talks about how much of the public is persuaded by Republican conspiracy theories:

Correction #2:
Americans Try to Cope with Republican Election Conspiracies about Biden

New York Times, January 18, 2024

Eyeing Super Tuesday, Trump Is Eager to Dispatch Rivals Sooner Than Later

Comment: These are the kinds of headlines that make the man found guilty in civil court of rape and who is facing 91 federal indictments look invincible. The march of Superman (more like Homelander from The Boys) will blitz through the country, and nothing can stop him.
Correction:
Trump’s Rivals Face Unrealistic Odds as Party Capitulates to Fascist Rhetoric

New York Times, January 18, 2024

What 17 of Trump’s ‘Best People’ Said About Him

Comment: Excellent article by Sarah Longwell, a founder of the Republican Accountability Project and publisher of The Bulwark, which is a conservative NeverTrump news outlet that has vigorously opposed all things Trump. The strength of the article is ruined by the headline.
Correction:
17 of Trump’s ‘Best People’ Left His Cabinet as the Corruption and Hate Culture Grew

New York Times, January 18, 2024

The Deification of Donald Trump Poses Some Interesting Questions

Comment: Interesting Questions? That’s a ridiculous way to phrase it. The headline did not reflect the content of the article, which was actually pretty good.
Correction:
The Deification of Donald Trump Among Far-Right Fundamentalists Threatens Democracy

Semafor, January 17, 2024

Trump’s legal saga continues as E. Jean Carroll prepares to testify

Comment: It’s not a legal saga.
Correction:
Trump’s legal woes continue as E. Jean Carroll prepares to testify about her rape

The New York Times, January 17, 2024

After Iowa, Trump Is Back to Command the National Psyche. He Never Actually Left.

Comment: He is not commanding the national psyche. He’s directing the New York Times (and other media) Editorial Decisions
Correction:
After Iowa, Trump Is Back to Command Mass Media Editorial Decisions. He Never Actually Left.

MSNBC, January 17, 2024

The way Trump won Iowa matters

Subhead: His domination across nearly every demographic points to his command of the party.

Comment: No recognition of his criminal indictments or civil trials
Correction:
How media coverage helped Trump win in Iowa

Corrected Subhead:
His domination across nearly every demographic points to his dominance over the media.

For a more honest evaluation of the election from a conservative viewpoint:

Dominant but Vulnerable

Iowa’s mixed message.

The BulwarkCharlie Sykes

Time Magazine, January 16,2024

How Trump Took Control of the GOP Primary

Comment: The media occasionally mentions his mendacity, but never his incoherence and obvious dementia.

Correction:
How the Media Handed Trump the GOP Primary to Trump

CNN, January 16, 2024

Trump’s landslide Iowa win is a stunning show of strength after leaving Washington in disgrace

Comment: Upvoting for managing to include the phrase “after leaving Washington in disgrace,” but the first part of the headline is disgraceful. It makes him appear invincible, which plays right into his hands
Correction:
Trump’s landslide Iowa win shows Iowa voters don’t care about his 91 indictments after leaving Washington in disgrace

“She gets like nine people, and the press never reports the crowd. By the way, they never report the crowd on January 6. You know, Nikki Haley, Nikki Haley, Nikki Haley … you know they … do you know they destroyed all of the information, all of the evidence, everything, deleted and destroyed all of it? All of it! Because of lots of things. Like Nikki Haley is in charge of security. We offered her 10,000 people. Soldiers, National Guard—whatever they want. They turned it down. They don’t wanna talk about that. These are very dishonest people.”

~ Donald Trump in a recent incoherent New Hampshire campaign speech