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By Laurie Fullerton | Freelance Writer

February 26, 2017 | 2 min read

The New York Times was hoping to start a dialogue with its new brand campaign from Droga5, however President Trump has weighed in three days after it launched to describe it as "bad".

Donald Trump posted a tweet slamming the Times’ ad campaign—which is focused on the importance of the truth, and independent journalists’ role in finding it—calling a TV spot “bad” and implying it was a waste of resources.

“For first time the failing @nytimes will take an ad (a bad one) to help save its failing reputation. Try reporting accurately & fairly!” he wrote.

Trump was referring to “The Truth Is Hard,” a 30-second spot that will air tonight during the Academy Awards on ABC. (Fox & Friends Weekend showed the spot on Sunday morning, which may have been what prompted Trump’s tweet. CNN’s New Day also did a segment about the ad on Sunday morning.)

The 30-second ad includes audio in the vein of news clips, talking about certain “truths,” from “the truth is our nation is more divided than ever” to “the truth is the media is dishonest," the Boston Globe reports.

It is the first television advertising from the Times since 2010 and its first brand-focused television ad in a decade.

Trump's comment comes days after the Times, BBC, CNN and other news organizations said they were denied entry to an off-camera White House "gaggle" with Press Secretary Sean Spicer and one day after Trump announced he won't be attending the annual White House Correspondents' Dinner, according to Fox 25 news, a Boston, MA affiliate.

The 30-second commercial, called "The Truth Is Hard," was posted Thursday on YouTube and has been viewed more than 2.6m times.

The Oscars broadcast begins at 8:30 p.m. ET Sunday on ABC.

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