BBC Mundo: Interview with Michael Rosenblum on the 2016 Election

Posted October 26, 2016

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Michael sat down with BBC Mundo to discuss the Presidential Election and the role the media has played in the rise of Donald Trump.

Here, we are reprinting the interview with was done in english but tranlated to spanish for BBC Mundo (we have translated back to english):

If one thing is clear this hectic election campaign in America, it is the role of television.

Not surprisingly one of the candidates is a clear example of the most popular version of this medium: reality shows.

Michael Rosenblum, media expert and director of Rosenblumtv, recognizes the mastery of Trump on the media environment.

He wrote this in several opinion columns published in The Huffington Post.

Now Trump sees no options but in conversation with BBC World, the specialist explains his theory, not without provocative ideas about American society.

"The average American spends five hours a day Each day should mean - to watch television and has done so years.

"Donald Trump is the first candidate who really comes from television and has a full understanding of the media.

Every time Donald Trump appears on television people tune, something not done to see Hillary Clinton. " Michael Rosenblum, Rosenblumtv

"Other candidates have made use of television, no one is terrible on television wins, look at Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and even George Bush, which was more television than Al Gore.

"But Trump is his first pure product was created by television, a medium that lives in the ratings. It's a business and every business aims to achieve benefits.

"Every time Trump appears on television people tune, something not done to see Hillary Clinton or any of the others. The public can not help but look at this guy even though a disaster," Rosenblum said.

"Will he win? I think not, and would not have said this a month ago, but everything in our lives has become a television show and spectacle in the United States has a plot with good and bad characters.

"Originally they wanted to give Hillary the role of bad and Donald's good, but he has gotten much leg a month or so ago decided to reverse the roles and Hillary was good and Donald bad," he says.

The audience in the United States season 2015-2016 1. Superbowl (football game, Super Bowl). 2. First presidential debate. 3. Analysis post-Superbowl party. 4. Second presidential debate. 5. Acceptance Speech Donald Trump during the Republican National Convention. Nielsen

In the last two decades, the interest of the American audience for the content of television programs has changed.

According to studies of companies dedicated to media analysis, the trend favors the so-called reality shows.

For example, the program American Idol holds the record for seasons in the top of the list compiled by Nielsen. It was the largest audience for 8 seasons from 2003-2011.

The data show that series like Downton Abbey, Mad Men or Game of Thrones arouse great interest of the public, but the reality shows, and some of its exponents as the Kardashian clan, have contributed to a growing trivialization of television content.

"It's a transformation that has occurred over time," says Rosenblum.

"More than 10 years ago something in their quest to maximize the audience, gave television reality TV.

"People could not stop looking, it was a cheap product that just needs screenwriters and very lucrative: soon everyone started to do that kind of television."

However, for the psychologist Jim Taylor, of the University of San Francisco, is not just scorable television today.

"Actually I think we're living in a golden age of television," replies Taylor told the BBC.

"I disagree with those who say that television is horrible and banal. There are very good, interesting and sophisticated series.

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