• by Wayne Friedman , Staff Writer, May 7, 2024

Are TV networks hyping up onscreen and offscreen marketing efforts around the New York City trial of former President Donald Trump while focusing less on the serious matter of criminal intent?

TV networks are running onscreen headlines that refer to Trump's criminal trial as “a hush-money case.” But Glenn Kirschner, a legal analyst for NBC News, says this is a total miss -- it is an “election interference” trial, pure and simple.

For example, CNN has been billing its daytime programming as the “Trump Hush Money Trial.” MSNBC has had a similar take at times.

That said, this is a criminal case against the former President involving public money that was allegedly misappropriated to alter marketing and promotion exposure to potential Presidential voters. 

The criminal case focuses on the Trump campaign allegedly making payments to a porn star and Playboy model so their relationship with Trump would not be released -- so-called “catch and kill.” 

Without admitting anything, Trump just calls all this just a “bookkeeping” error. But if you connect the easy dots -- including evidence and court witnesses who have taken the stand -- there is much more.

Perhaps the networks are trying too hard, with all their possible journalistic integrity, to be as fair as possible. 

"Hush money" does sound kind of cool and interesting. You can understand that this phrase makes viewers lean in a bit.

But does it convey the association of criminal intent? Hush money may be a bit vague, and it's hard to have a clear image of what that means at first blush. Or even a second blush. 

Discussion of "Trump" -- on screen or otherwise -- attached to many themes may now be becoming a bore for most viewers. But linking his name to words and phrases such as "hush" or "porn star" or "Playboy centerfold" and "sex" speaks volumes. 

So TV marketing executives have to thread the needle a bit, to find a new angle that viewers might be interested in -- especially in what is projected to be a six-week case. We are only in the first innings now.

Kirschner pointed out much of this was derived to stir viewers who live in a “soundbite” culture.

All good and well, but then how can you jazz "election interference" into a buzzworthy onscreen message? Find the better word-salad combination and include: Sex. Fraud. Hush. Porn Star. Money. Presidential Voters.