Protest Coverage

Scott Thomas

st610417@ohio.edu

 

When protests happen in this country, the right to hit the streets is protected by our First Amendment. The same amendment that guarantees our freedom of speech, press and assemble in United States. Recently in 2020 we have had an unprecedented year in protesting. Racial injustice, the handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and the most contentious election in recent history have brought the people out to speak their minds. These protests have raised the question of how we, as the press, should cover these events. 

Picture source: Eva Woolridge for Rolling Stone

While the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press lists our rights as journalists, a large question has become how journalists should protect the rights of the protesters. For instance, many believe that photojournalists should start blurring out the faces of those who take to the streets in order to protect their identity. Protest coverage has become a huge responsibility in the age of social media. Since we have cell phones, hundreds and thousands of videos come out on the internet and social media platforms, often of violence. It is critical for journalists to be able to clearly paint a picture of what is happening and being fair and unbiased in their reporting. 

One journalist in Pittsburgh was taken off her beat of protest coverage during the peak of the Black Lives Matter protests this summer. She, a Black reporter, posted an image on Twitter that made a comment about the aftermath of a concert in comparison to the peaceful protests that were occurring in the city. This incident blurred the lines between journalists and news organizations who are obligated to their readers. One common thing seen in protest reporting is for most reporting to center around what is being disturbed by protesters (traffic, businesses, etc.), instead of the actual content of the protests. 

This creates an opposite effect of what the protesters are trying to accomplish by painting them as a nuisance instead of highlighting social or governmental change they are calling for. I believe this is why so many people believe that the media is deliberately trying to divide the country. The recent coverage of protests in this country along with everything else that has happened in 2020 has created a huge divide between Americans. The media conglomerates must now choose if they want to help heal that damage or continue to be passive observers to it. Perhaps the next time people protest it could be to protest the media.