It's not your imagination: If you turn on CNN and feel like it's All Donald, All the Time, that's because it kind of is.
Although earlier this year CNN President Jeff Zucker told producers not to cover Donald Trump when he was hinting around at running for president, as soon as he made his announcement on June 16, the network went into overdrive. Using the Nexis database, Politico discovered that since then, Trump has been covered by CNN on television and online more than 400 times, giving him more press than major GOP candidates like Jeb Bush and Marco Rubio, as well as Hillary Clinton.
There are two vocal contingents of journalists with strong feelings about how Trump should — and shouldn't — be covered by the media. Some believe he should receive minimal attention, arguing he's never going to be the nominee and is only in the race because he loves the spotlight. Others, like Steven Ginsberg of The Washington Post, say that as a candidate, he's part of the news and needs to be covered. "In my view, making decisions solely according to who may win the nomination is the worst way to cover a presidential election," he told Politico. "A whole lot happens on the way to the nomination and you can't explain what's happening with the candidates or the country without being on top of all of it."
There's also the matter of ratings — Politico says that stories about Trump bring in high numbers of viewers and tons of clicks. Some journalists believe that pieces about Trump are being assigned for the sole purpose of attracting lots of eyeballs, and others are afraid the media is legitimizing some of Trump's more wild claims by giving them top billing on programs and websites. Of course, it could also just be the easy way out, giving reporters a chance to enjoy Summer Fridays by slapping together some of The Donald's more outrageous quotes and calling it a day. "I get that it's easier than explaining the impact of the Trans-Pacific Partnership," an anonymous journalist told Politico, "but come on."