This CNN martyr syndrome needs to end.

- CNN asks a legitimate question.
- Trump calls it fake news, the reporter asked a nasty question, the reporter is a third-rate reporter. Or all three.
- CNN gets indignant.

- Various CNN anchors/reporters go on and on about how trump attacks them and how it is an assault on the values of the country and CNN is a national treasure.

Repeat endlessly.

It’s not helpful. We know Trump hates the press, especially CNN.

We’ve known this since before we were elected.

He lives off the fact that he can keep calling the press “Fake News” and they will keep repeating it; plays great to his base.

Stop stooping to his level. Play the question. Then have the reporter say “Trump refused to answer the question.” No mention of fake news, etc. Then spend the next 20 minutes talking about news.

It’s natural to feel indignant when one of yours is attacked. I was a journalist once and I get it. Get over it. Report the news. But: 1/ Ratings. 2/ Endlessly babbling about how trump hates CNN is cheaper programming to produce than news. @brianstelter @andersoncooper @Acosta

Trump saying “Fake news” is the farthest thing from news.