Obama criticizes 2016 campaign coverage NEW YORK — President Barack Obama’s turn as a media critic this week may not have thrilled many journalists, but it has forced a new look at how a media-saturated presidential campaign is being covered. Obama’s challenge to reporters to be more probing comes at a time when the media is facing two seemingly contradictory strains of criticism for its treatment of Republican front-runner Donald Trump: that it has covered him too much, or not done enough to look into his background and promises. Obama, speaking Monday night at a Syracuse University awards ceremony honoring the late political journalist Robin Toner, said he’s not the only one dismayed by the tone of the campaign to succeed him.