News media on the Trump campaign : A discourse analysis of 3652 news articles using topic modeling through MALLET

The aim of this study was to examine how American news media covered Donald Trump's presidential campaign in the election of 2016, as well as discussing the possible consequences of such reporting on the election results. Using mixed methods, 3652 digital news articles were studied by discourse analysis and topic modeling through MALLET. The study found that a substantial number of articles were dedicated to such non-political news reporting as scandals, portraying an image of Trump as someone who can get away with doing whatever he wants. Furthermore, the results of the study found that media helped to convey Trump’s views of minorities, doing so in particularly by citing him. The media also relied largely on polls. Comparison of the candidates through these polls enhanced the image of the election campaign as nothing more than a horse race, as well as turning up Trumps entertainment value. As the campaign continued, the reporting got more aggressive towards Trump. At the same time there was an element of wanting to balance the critical articles about him by simultaneously writing negatively about other candidates. The study concludes that all of the non-political new stories might have directed focus away from the important policy issues, leading to people voting for candidates without the proper insight into their politics