Representing Protests Fairly is a Testament to Ethical Journalism

Colin Murnan

colin.murnan@gmail.com

 

Many in the United States, at some point, have come to the general consensus that protests are a hindrance to society, useful only in stopping traffic or instigating violence. 

But history has told a different story. This country, in fact, was founded on the basis of protest - the Boston Tea Party perhaps being one of the most famous examples. Protest and threats against the status quo freed us from the restraints of Britain. Protests in the early 1900s gave workers a fair working wage, a cutback in long hours, and better working conditions. Protests in the sixties achieved progress in the fight for civil rights. In the seventies, thousands flocked to D.C. to protest the war in Vietnam, receiving widespread coverage and pressuring the government's foreign policy. 

Despite the evidence that protests have done much good for the United States and their citizens, the Black Lives Matter protests this past summer seemed overshadowed by the foreboding nature of news coverage, focusing on the threat of rioting and destruction of public property. Less seemed to be discussed about why the protests were happening. 

Picture source: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/blog/2020-06-06-george-floyd-protests-n1226451

It is one of the core duties of a journalist to always give voice to those in the minority. When a system has been unfairly set against certain individuals, it is those in positions of journalistic practices to record the experiences of these people and report their view. If all that is covered is the looting and rioting then we have missed the crucial point of this entire movement. 

In her piece, "The Headlines that are Covering Up Police Violence," Sarah Jackson writes, "How the news covers activism matters profoundly to a democracy because the media can influence public support or rejection of policies that might solve social ills such as racism and police brutality."

The goal is not to add commentary or be biased in any way, merely to give voice to those who are protesting and asking why they are doing so. The allure for news stations to show violence has come at the cost of getting at deeper systemic issues. 

In "Examining Media Coverage of Protests Worldwide," Sara Tubbs explains, "Previous research shows news coverage that follows the paradigm uses four frames, three of which delegitimize the root of the cause: riot, a focus on the violence; confrontation, a focus on clashes between protestors and police; spectacle, a focus on the drama or emotions; and debate - a media frame that legitimizes viewpoints and demands by emphasizing the reason for the protest."

There are ways for journalists to better represent protests. By focusing instead on the deeper debate, journalists can help frame the issue at hand more clearly for viewers and perhaps offer positive change.