bar for transparency is much higher at the moment than it was even two months ago, and certainly than it was before Trump threw his hat in the ring. In theory, he should embrace his tense relationship with the press as a tool for informing the public; in practice, no politician does. (Including President Obama, who's been criticized for his lack of openness and accessibility.) But Trump has given any number of indicators that his hostility to the process goes far further, skipping customary transparency measures (like releasing his tax returns) and, again, bashing the media as illegitimate and biased.

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The worst-case scenario for Trump-media relations is outlined here by NYU journalism professor Jay Rosen. He notes that Trump's frequent inaccuracies and lies in his tweets and press statementscan further the rift between himself and the press -- or, more importantly, the press and the public -- by serving "as both a show of power and to cast the press in the role of petty but hateful antagonist." That's where the press is now in the eyes of Trump's more fervent supporters, and that plays to Trump's benefit by ensuring that he is given the benefit of the doubt, instead of us.

That lack of trust in the press broadly -- it's at a low in Gallup polling -- is a big part of the problem at the core of why Trump behaves the way he does and puts off press conferences. (Most presidents-elect have held pressers shortly after winning. Trump, again, has gone over four months.)