Even so, Trump’s presidency has been a bonanza for the media, delivering record ratings, subscriptions and web traffic, with the president’s admirers and detractors all lapping up coverage about him.

The end result is that Trump will enter 2018 — a year in which the administration faces a special counsel investigation and the potential for impeachment-hungry Democrats to take control of Congress — with perhaps the most antagonistic relationship with the media of any president in modern times.

“I don’t expect Trump’s approach to media relations will change at all, nor should we expect the press to tire of antagonizing Trump,” said Jeffrey McCall, a professor of media studies at DePauw University. “Buckle your seatbelts. 2017 was a rough ride for news consumers trying find out what was really happening in the world and 2018 will be an even greater challenge.”