After eight years, the media bids farewell to President Obama and his family.
Many in the media have expressed their sorrow over Obama leaving the White House, while others made sure to show their appreciation over the last eight years for being able to witness his presidency. Prior to Obama being president, there were a special few in the media who foresaw his greatness, like MSNBC host Chris Matthews, whose body sent a "thrill" up his leg because it could not handle Obama's message of hope and change.
The relationship between Obama and the media has not always been a honeymoon. Like any relationship, they faced some bumpy roads. Obama was frustrated by hard questions. Reporters complained after Obama lectured them.
Apart from those few rare disagreements, the media and the Obamas have always found a way to work together. Now in the final days of the Obama era, news networks have dedicated hour-long, sometime primetime specials about the Obama legacy.
CNN aired a two-hour special called "The Legacy of Barack Obama," which was hosted by known plagiarist Fareed Zakaria.
NBC aired a one-hour special called "Barack Obama: Reality of Hope," which was hosted by Lester Holt.
MSNBC aired a one-hour special called "The Obama Years," which was hosted by disgraced NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams.
Even National Geographic aired a two-hour special called "Obama: The Price of Hope."
As the country enters into the Trump presidency, the media now realizes that its job is important. Politico's Jack Schafer wrote how Trump is making journalism great again and how reporters are now set free.
CNN anchor Christiane Amanpour urged journalists to be "truthful, not neutral," adding that they must commit to real reporting–which raises an interesting question: what were reporters doing over the last eight years?