Why was Trump's run in 2016 treated seriously by the media, even from when he announced?

[Obama24]

Correct me if I am wrong, but it seems like from the moment Trump went down that escalator in June 2015, the media began almost obsessively focusing on him. Every bizarre, crude or crazy thing he said was given massive amounts of airtime, right off the bat.

My question is, looking back, why was he given such a platform by the media - why was his face plastered all over the news long before he was the nominee or even close to being so?

Why wasn't he treated akin to Jill Stein or such - as a fringe figure?

I'm not talking about now, but back in 2015-2016. At the time he was nothing more than a television guy with some failed businesses.

[Obama24]

Because he was (and is) a gold mine for the media. He gets them clicks, so why wouldn't they cover him?

Because journalists should have the best interest of the country in mind. They have a responsibility.

[Obama24]

He gets the clicks.

The boss at CNN worked with him at the Apprentice.

Trump is marketing heaven for news websites.

One day, I hope some President goes after let's call it "Big news" or "Big journalism." I'm not sure how one could do so without brushing up against the first amendment, but the idea isn't to restrict their freedom, it's to remind them of their responsibility to the country. They have and had a massive hand in Trump gaining, and still being, any sort of relevant. That shouldn't be forgotten as time goes by.