“There are commercial reasons why some newsrooms focus on the spectacle and confrontation — the old journalism adage of ‘if it bleeds, it leads’ still prevails in many newsroom decisions…But it is a decision that delegitimizes protest aims.”
As a scholar who researches media coverage of police and protests, I believe Toledo’s death exposes a blind spot in journalism: a tendency to go with the “police said” narrative without outwardly questioning if it is right.
“News audiences aren’t necessarily used to seeing violence and disruption at citizen demonstrations in support of a president — and certainly not on the scale we witnessed on Wednesday at the Capitol.”
Not all protests get treated equally. Stories about women’s marches and anti-Trump protests give more voice to the protesters than those about Black Lives Matter and other anti-racism protests.
What’s the best way to follow how the news is changing?
Our daily email, with all the freshest future-of-journalism news.
Brown, Danielle K.. "What do we want? Unbiased reporting! When do we want it? During protests!." Nieman Journalism Lab. Nieman Foundation for Journalism at Harvard, 17 Jan. 2020. Web. 26 Aug. 2024.
APA
Brown, D. (2020, Jan. 17). What do we want? Unbiased reporting! When do we want it? During protests!. Nieman Journalism Lab. Retrieved August 26, 2024, from https://www.niemanlab.org/2020/01/what-do-we-want-unbiased-reporting-when-do-we-want-it-during-protests/
Chicago
Brown, Danielle K.. "What do we want? Unbiased reporting! When do we want it? During protests!." Nieman Journalism Lab. Last modified January 17, 2020. Accessed August 26, 2024. https://www.niemanlab.org/2020/01/what-do-we-want-unbiased-reporting-when-do-we-want-it-during-protests/.
Wikipedia
{{cite web
| url = https://www.niemanlab.org/2020/01/what-do-we-want-unbiased-reporting-when-do-we-want-it-during-protests/
| title = What do we want? Unbiased reporting! When do we want it? During protests!
| last = Brown
| first = Danielle K.
| work = [[Nieman Journalism Lab]]
| date = 17 January 2020
| accessdate = 26 August 2024
| ref = {{harvid|Brown|2020}}
}}