Donald Trump has revoked the press credentials – in practice, the ability to travel on the campaign press plane and privileged access to public events – of the Washington Post.  Once again, the established media are outraged at something that “just isn’t done,” and they harrumph that the move makes Trump look “petty” and “vindictive.”

As Paul Mirengoff of Powerline notes (while disapproving of Trump’s move), there was plenty of provocation:

Trump’s decision was prompted by a headline on the Post’s website that declared: “Donald Trump seems to connect President Obama to Orlando shooting.” The article became the most read on the website, according to the Post.

The headline was obviously untrue, as the Post tacitly acknowledged by changing it. The paper says it made the change on its own initiative, before Trump complained.

Maybe so. But there is no excuse for such a headline ever having appeared. Moreover, the Post’s coverage of Trump has been unfair since Day One. I say this as someone who strongly opposed…him during the primary season and who does not support him in the general election.

Note that the Post can still cover Trump events; they just lose privileges that are his to grant or withhold.

Trump clearly is not bound by the media conventions of the past. It is no coincidence that the rules of contemporary media culture almost inevitably work to the left’s advantage, for the Gramsci strategy has left the media solidly in the hands of the left.

For the moment, Trump may take a media hit, but a public that wants a strong leader to protect them may not share the media’s outrage.