**REPORTER'S NOTEBOOK** *By J.D. Durkin* LONDON - While I was silently practicing the pronunciation of Trafalgar and preparing for my next on-air shot, I hadn’t realized that a woman was intently watching me not far from our camera, waiting for me to speak. Within a few moments after beginning my delivery, anyone within 15 feet easily could have heard her blurt out one unmistakable word: “dishonest!” What followed was a small series of intentional and searing interruptions while I tried to record a segment on the day’s anti-Trump protests — including the classic but overused “you’re fake news.” The woman was one of many Londoners I met on Friday who expressed a strong suspicion of the media — with a blunt-force urge to convey that fact to us. For the next five minutes she and I spoke forcefully on the manner back and forth, even as she followed us to our next live shot position to harangue us some more. She could not point to anything specifically wrong with my reporting she thought was dishonest, just that she was not a fan of the idea of the “fake news media.” She knew nothing about Cheddar nor about me, but that didn’t matter: we were American reporters. Protests are big. Immigration is hot. People are angry. Open borders. Law and order. Safety. Trump. Since we landed in England it was clear that many conservative supporters of the Brexit movement would use the weekend of otherwise anti-Trump rallies to stir the pot and work the soy-sipping libs into a frenzy. They were loud, forward, effective — and they are very clear in their hostility toward the news media. My colleague Samantha Tadelman — whose Herculean feats of strength in recent days have included hauling 100+ pounds of gear casually throughout Europe — and I saw firsthand how the UK is grappling with all the issues that have roiled U.S.: national identity, immigration, and citizenship. And just as in the U.S., these issues have produced an often harsh and aggressive passion that boils over in confrontations such as those I had on Friday. At the scene of the Trump balloon baby Friday morning, I found myself on more than one occasion on the receiving end of confrontations with different media hecklers. One called me “total scum,” while another person settled on calling me, strangely, “a bootlicker for George Soros.” Here in London, they are well-versed on the U.S. president’s criticisms against the news media, even mimicking Trump’s cadence as they repeated his popular insults verbatim. Not all of this anger, though, can be traced directly to Donald Trump. Months before his election, the [Brexit referendum,](https://www.bbc.com/news/politics/eu_referendum/results) which puts the UK on a path to leave the European Union, stirred intense passions here, driven largely by [concerns over immigration.](https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/brexit-latest-news-leave-eu-immigration-main-reason-european-union-survey-a7811651.html) But the American president has clearly given Britons (and others around the world) useful soundbites to help channel their passions. As for the actual “rally-goers” — the majority of the crowds who showed up to protest against the President — the vibe was more reminiscent of a Women’s March: inequality, climate change, feminism, etc. All are welcome here, was the message and most offered some variation of “Trump is a bad actor and we can’t believe he’s president.” Some British infants, no older than 2-years-old, were dressed in anti-Trump gear with their parents. Tempers flared in London. I tried my best, but I don’t think I changed the previously-held opinion of a single person I engaged with on the issue of “fake news” being the enemy of the people. For now, in this bizarre and uncertain time in the history of global democracies, the media is perceived, by many, to be the enemy actively working against their interests. The biggest paradox of the experience is that while I was fending off people in London distrustful of the reporters, the President was two hours away openly mocking news outlets that posed critical questions at a [news conference with Prime Minister Theresa May.](https://cheddar.com/videos/trump-strikes-friendly-tone-in-press-conference-with-may) The President slammed U.S. journalists Friday — while on foreign soil — another subtle green light, perhaps, to Americans and foreigners alike to accuse U.S. reporters of being "dishonest."

Share:
More In Politics
Better Social Media Parental Controls May Not Be Enough to Protect Kids
After scrutiny over the negative impact on the mental health of children, social media apps have begun adding stricter limitations to parental controls. Jim Steyer, CEO of Common Sense Media, a nonprofit organization focusing on recommendations for entertainment platforms, joined Cheddar News to talk about the changes, why they might not be enough, and what parents can do to help. "It's almost that the companies — whether they're Snapchat, Instagram, YouTube, or whatever — have to start the process from the beginning of designing the product," he said. "They have to be much more clear about age verification so that a 12-year-old and 11-year-old can't get on there." Steyer also pushed for federal legislation to reign in the issue.
EU Opts to Limit Big Tech Dominance With Antitrust Rules
As Big Tech companies from the U.S. like Google and Apple managed to build market dominance overseas, the European Union has decided to curb what it sees as monopolistic growth. Greg Martin, the co-founder of Rainmaker Securities, joined Cheddar News to talk about how the impact of the antitrust regulations being adopted. "I think there's a lot of great outcomes here, but those will be far down the road [because] I do think there's some interoperability things that need to be worked out technologically," he said. "But it's going to be really good ultimately for the consumer in my opinion."
TikTok Social Justice and Style Creator Tenicka Boyd Didn't Want to Be Found at First
Tenicka Boyd is a digital creator making content that reflects her two passions: activism and style. The TikTok star joined Cheddar News to talk about her platform and new looks this Spring. Boyd admitted that at first she wanted to remain anonymous on the social media platform before finding her passion. "I just joined TikTok hoping that no one would find me, and I started creating colorful content," she said. "I didn't know that you could monetize this and really do it full time, and I just followed my passion because I realized that you can have multiple different lives and do multiple different things."
Parkland Shooting Survivors Return to DC With 1000 Bodybags in Tow
Survivors of the Parkland School Shooting along with activists from March For Our Lives set up on the National Mall on Thursday. Their demonstration displayed 1,100 bodybags that spelled out the phrase “Thoughts and Prayers” to remind lawmakers that condolences are not enough and to push for action on guns. Each bag represented 150 lives lost due to gun violence. Trevon Bosley, a board member of March For Our Lives, joined Cheddar News to discuss the organization's return to Washington, DC. "The main thing bringing us back is that we have not seen anything being done on the national level for gun violence.” Bosley said. “We’re not seeing anything changed, and we’re not seeing lives being saved”
Why We Should Care About Jamaica's Independence
UK's prince William and his wife were met by protesters during their visit to Jamaica. Cheddar News speaks with political strategist Dee Dawkins-Haigler, who explains why the country's path to independence is relevant to Americans.
Load More