A high schooler walks into a protest. Which is to say, a video went viral.
High Schooler Nick Sandmann did not anticipate the impact of his actions when wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat to the Indigenous Peoples March in Washington D.C. Many interpreted Sandmann's smirk and hat choice to be a political statement in contradiction of the march. Coverage of this event described Sandmann's actions as indicative of the political divide in the United States.
Sandmann sued NBC Universal Media for defamation. On December 17, 2021, Sandmann tweeted that "NBC and I have reached a settlement." An article entitled Covington Catholic's Nick Sandmann Settles $275 Million NBC Lawsuit for 'Confidential' Amount by Aaron Keller noted that Sandmann felt that he received a negative and unjustifiable side of NBC's bias against conservative voices. This unwanted publicity degraded a 16-year-old's reputation and simultaneously put a bad name on journalism and news media. Not only were names soddened, but a question of fear-mongering may be pronounced to the public. The current political feeling is bipartisan division when Democrats demonize republicans who demonize democrats. The cycle is non-stop. But publishing stories like those of Nick Sandmann's makes the public feel more divided than ideologically accurate.
That being said, it is essential to note stories that may appear politically motivated but are not.
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| Photo by Coast Southwest |
A white cop strangles a black man. That is to say; a video went viral.
The death of George Floyd triggered an increase in nationwide protests against police brutality. Police brutality disproportionately affects unarmed people of color. Journalist Mandy Oaklander published statistics in Time Magazine in 2016 regarding police brutality against people of color in the United States. Leftist circles and democratic-identifying people usually prioritize issues of social justice and POC stories. Therefore, if one views the story from a conservative viewpoint, it would make sense to attribute George Floyd's strangulation to dramatic storytelling and the subsequent protests to be unnecessary.
It is essential to acknowledge the gaping differences between the examples mentioned above. A young white boy had his actions criticized through a viral video. A black man was strangled by a white police officer in a brutal, public, and horrific manner. Both of these stories should be covered. Neither should be criticized as unjust fear-mongering by an opposing political party. However, it is essential for news media sources to be precise and accurate when presenting the facts, so the meanings and implications of their words may not be misconstrued.
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