A Missed Opportunity? President Trump, the Truth Sandwich, and News Coverage Across an Ideological Spectrum

Many within mainstream news media wondered aloud and in print how to cover President Trump who, they purported, frequently distorted the truth. Although President Trump is no longer in office, this research remains vitally important for understanding how the press covers the office of the Presidency when the veracity of information is in question. During President Trump's tenure, the ‘truth sandwich,' was suggested as a technique, whereby a fact is first stated in a news article, then a quote of the false assertion, followed by the fact again. This research aimed to explore the presence of the truth sandwich in an ideological range of news content. These findings have implications for the future coverage of Presidencies in the United States, and for governments in other countries, where the veracity of information is questionable.