Journalists Targeted While Covering Protests: 328 Press Freedom Violations And Counting

[Somerville]

Every day among those on the right, the fear of a free press becomes more obvious.

Journalists Targeted While Covering Protests: 328 Press Freedom Violations And Counting

As a massive wave of protests unfolded in cities across the country after the death of George Floyd, journalists on the front lines have in many cases been targeted by police, with over 300 so far wrongfully arrested or assaulted, according to press freedom advocates.

With protests erupting in all 50 states—and some marred by looting or rioting, reporters covering the civil unrest faced it all: They’ve been injured by rubber bullets or tear gas, arrested by police and assaulted—in a few cases, even by protestors.

With the vast majority of incidents across the country being perpetrated by law enforcement, many journalists described feeling targeted: in many cases, there were strong indications—like video evidence—that suggest officers knew they were dealing with a member of the press.

There have been more than 328 “press freedom violations” between May 26 and June 6, according to the latest count from the U.S. Press Freedom Tracker, a collaboration of advocacy groups such as the Committee to Protect Journalists and the Freedom of the Press Foundation.

Those numbers are unprecedented: In just over a week there have been more violations than the 150 recorded for all of 2019.

One must wonder if the words of the guy in the Oval Office have had an influence on certain law enforcement personnel

Feb 2016 Trump Says Freedom of the Press Must Go Because He’s ‘Not Like Other People’

Oct 2016 Donald Trump vs. a Free Press

Oct 2017 Trump hits a new low in attacks on the free press

July 2018 Why Donald Trump attacks the media

Feb 2019 Trump Attacks The Times, in a Week of Unease for the American Press

June 2019 Donald Trump's attacks on "the enemy of the people" aren't random outbursts.

Sep 2019 ‘Enemy of the people’: Trump’s war on the media is a page from Nixon’s playbook

Mar 2020 Trump called the media ‘the enemy of the people.’ He means it

 

[CMPancake]

Fascists hate free speech. Plain and simple.

 

[Ignatius]

Fascists hate free speech. Plain and simple.

Then you should stop doing it.

 

[Ikari]

Trump's been waging a war on the Free Press since day 1. Authoritarians don't like a free press, or assembly, or protest,...

 

[X Factor]

Yeah, rubber bullets and tear gas aren’t going to skip over you because you’re press. What’s the argument here? Police shouldn’t disperse violent crowds because there might be a reporter somewhere in the crowd?

 

[CMPancake]

Then you should stop doing it.

Lol you want me to stop using my free speech?

 

[HumblePi]

More than 2 billion people across the globe have internet access, so it's not quite as simple nowadays for a would-be dictator to fool 'all the people, all the time'. Millions of angry and motivated people, many of them very young, are using their virtual public voice to exercise their right to freedom of speech, publish their opinions, and petition for righting the wrongs they believe are happening.

Although Trump has been operating straight from the 'How to be a dictator' handbook, this is 2020, and that handbook isn't going to be as helpful to him than it was just 10 years ago. We're in the information age and sanctioning certain media outlets, or banning them altogether isn't going to have the same effect. People are still going to get their news, people are still going to do social networking and it's going to backfire on him. Then he's going to have a little problem with this thing we call the First Amendment. Even his most loyal, staunchest GOP supporters in Congress will have to admit it's one toe over the line.

 

[X Factor]

Trump's been waging a war on the Free Press since day 1. Authoritarians don't like a free press, or assembly, or protest,...

Lol, yeah, suddenly assembly and protest is the best thing ever but when it was people protesting lockdowns because they wanted just to go back to work or church, they were the worst people ever and going to be responsible for all these Covid deaths.

I trust you support Trump rallies starting up again?

 

[Ikari]

Lol, yeah, suddenly assembly and protest is the best thing ever but when it was people protesting lockdowns because they wanted just to go back to work or church, they were the worst people ever and going to be responsible for all these Covid deaths.

I trust you support Trump rallies starting up again?

Of course. All the Trumpeteers should cram into a confined space with no masks.

lol

 

[Somerville]

Lol, yeah, suddenly assembly and protest is the best thing ever but when it was people protesting lockdowns because they wanted just to go back to work or church, they were the worst people ever and going to be responsible for all these Covid deaths.

I trust you support Trump rallies starting up again?

The fact that you can equate the protests about the death of some Americans at the hands of the police with people protesting over the government's attempts to lessen the impact of a disease on the populace tells the readers that you either:

Know not whereof ye speak
OR
Any action by those you agree with is more important than public health.

 

[Captain Adverse]

Every day among those on the right, the fear of a free press becomes more obvious.

Not the fear of a "free" press, IMO rather the fear of a "politicized" press.

Small wonder, as this "politicized" press has been guilty of printing misinformation, disinformation, propaganda...you name it. But it is no longer "all the news that's fit to print."

From your own list of examples:

Feb 2016 Trump Says Freedom of the Press Must Go Because He’s ‘Not Like Other People’

The title, as often the case, is misleading. It gives the impression that when he said "I am not like other people" he was referring to eliminating freedom of the press. In fact, he was stating he is not taking money when HE says something, where the Press does make money off of what they say in print. Hence the press is profiting from allegedly libelous stories.

Oct 2016 Donald Trump vs. a Free Press

OPINION piece, can't read behind paywall. :shrug:

Oct 2017 Trump hits a new low in attacks on the free press

CNN Video from back in 2017. Trump rightly angered by what we NOW know after years of B.S. were stories pushing the narrative based on a false allegation of Russian Collusion. So he asked for a Senate investigation into such reporting. :shrug:

July 2018 Why Donald Trump attacks the media

Another opinion piece. The question it poses is easily answered...because Trump is a fighter and if attacked he fights back. We now know from various studies that when it comes to Trump and his Administration? The MSM have been negative over 90% of the time throughout the last 4 years.

Why wouldn't he fight back?

I could go point by point, but there really is not point in doing so.

Those of you who are cemented into a confirmation bias built up over years of MSM feeding frenzies and negative reporting will simply fall back on the typical Moral Panic devices.

Still, not convincing anyone but yourselves IMHO. The lines are pretty much drawn. :coffeepap:

 

[X Factor]

Of course. All the Trumpeteers should cram into a confined space with no masks.

lol

From someone who once suggested that killing cops was as viable a solution as any other, I find this unsurprising from you (stuff your disingenuous “lol”). It is funny though that as you criticize Trump for criticizing the press, you advocate for the potential death of people you disagree with.

 

[Ikari]

From someone who once suggested that killing cops was as viable a solution as any other, I find this unsurprising from you (stuff your disingenuous “lol”). It is funny though that as you criticize Trump for criticizing the press, you advocate for the potential death of people you disagree with.

I thought the masks were useless and the lockdown was unnecessary. Why would I be advocating the potential death of anyone? It's not like the lockdowns were useful and helped flatten curves and that wearing masks help slow the spread of Covid, now is it?

lol

 

[Somerville]

Not the fear of a "free" press, IMO rather the fear of a "politicized" press.

Small wonder, as this "politicized" press has been guilty of printing misinformation, disinformation, propaganda...you name it. But it is no longer "all the news that's fit to print."

From your own list of examples:



The title, as often the case, is misleading. It gives the impression that when he said "I am not like other people" he was referring to eliminating freedom of the press. In fact, he was stating he is not taking money when HE says something, where the Press does make money off of what they say in print. Hence the press is profiting from allegedly libelous stories.



OPINION piece, can't read behind paywall. :shrug:



CNN Video from back in 2017. Trump rightly angered by what we NOW know after years of B.S. were stories pushing the narrative based on a false allegation of Russian Collusion. So he asked for a Senate investigation into such reporting. :shrug:



Another opinion piece. The question it poses is easily answered...because Trump is a fighter and if attacked he fights back. We now know from various studies that the MSM have been negative over 90% of the time throughout the last 4 years. Why wouldn't he fight back?

I could go point by point, but there really is not point in doing so.

Those of you who are cemented into a confirmation bias built up over years of MSM feeding frenzies and negative reporting will simply fall back on the typical Moral Panic devices.

Still, not convincing anyone but yourselves IMHO. The lines are pretty much drawn. :coffeepap:

Yes, you could go point by point, using various rightie sources. The "various studies that the MSM have been negative over 90% of the time" claim appears to go back to one source -- Media Research Center

"Overall, we rate Media Research Center strongly right biased based on advocacy for a conservative agenda and Mixed for factual reporting due to promotion of propaganda, pseudoscience as well as a poor fact check record by their primary sources."

The Media Research Center (MRC) is a politically conservative content analysis organization based in Reston, Virginia, founded in 1987 by activist L. Brent Bozell III. Its stated mission is to “prove—through sound scientific research—that liberal bias in the media does exist and undermines traditional American values.” According to their about page “MRC’s sole mission is to expose and neutralize the propaganda arm of the Left: the national news media. This makes the MRC’s work unique within the conservative movement.”

The Media Research Center is a 501(c)(3) Nonprofit organization. MRC is funded through donations, with some large donors including the Bradley, Scaife, Olin, Castle Rock, Carthage and JM foundations. It also receives funding from ExxonMobil due to its skepticism on Climate Change. MRC also owns the Questionable news source CNS News as well as the factually Mixed right biased Newsbusters.

 

[X Factor]

The fact that you can equate the protests about the death of some Americans at the hands of the police with people protesting over the government's attempts to lessen the impact of a disease on the populace tells the readers that you either:

Know not whereof ye speak
OR
Any action by those you agree with is more important than public health.

And that’s what it comes down to for liberals, as long as it’s a message you support, you’re all about free speech. Your fidelity to lefty hypocrisy is impressive.

 

[Irredentist]

Yeah, rubber bullets and tear gas aren’t going to skip over you because you’re press. What’s the argument here? Police shouldn’t disperse violent crowds because there might be a reporter somewhere in the crowd?

Really what that means is that there were probably a few unruly people in the crowd, so the cops just started randomly shooting and gassing people because they're not intelligent enough to differentiate one person from another.

 

[X Factor]

I thought the masks were useless and the lockdown was unnecessary. Why would I be advocating the potential death of anyone? It's not like the lockdowns were useful and helped flatten curves and that wearing masks help slow the spread of Covid, now is it?

lol

I’m sorry, were you under the impression you were being subtle in what you meant? :lol: You tell me, is assembly during a pandemic cool or not cool?

 

[Ikari]

I’m sorry, were you under the impression you were being subtle in what you meant? :lol: You tell me, is assembly during a pandemic cool or not cool?

It's not going to result in good consequences. There is every possibility that we'll see big increases in Covid cases because of it. The protesters probably thought that the State killing someone was worth the risk, however. Hopefully, this isn't going to spike things so hard we have to go back on lock-down.

There is a bit of a difference, though, between protesting wearing a mask and protesting the State killing someone in custody.

lol

 

[X Factor]

It's not going to result in good consequences. There is every possibility that we'll see big increases in Covid cases because of it. The protesters probably thought that the State killing someone was worth the risk, however. Hopefully, this isn't going to spike things so hard we have to go back on lock-down.

So you were advocating the death of Trump supporters.

There is a bit of a difference, though, between protesting wearing a mask and protesting the State killing someone in custody.

lol

Then the next time you accuse Trump of being anti protest and assembly do be clear that you, yourself, also are perfectly fine with opposing protest and assembly if the message is something you disagree with.

 

[Ikari]

So you were advocating the death of Trump supporters.

Nope, y'all don't believe there's anything to it. Lock-down was a hoax, masks do nothing. So by that, there is no advocation of anything. Unless you're admitting that the lock-down was necessary and masks help. Are you? That's just your side's logic.

Then the next time you accuse Trump of being anti protest and assembly do be clear that you, yourself, also are perfectly fine with opposing protest and assembly if the message is something you disagree with.

Nope. Never said any of that. But if lies and propaganda are what you need to make an argument, far be it from me to stop you

lol

 

[X Factor]

Nope, y'all don't believe there's anything to it. Lock-down was a hoax, masks do nothing. So by that, there is no advocation of anything. Unless you're admitting that the lock-down was necessary and masks help. Are you? That's just your side's logic.

Ah but you say you do believe masks and lockdowns is/are necessary so you’re advocating Trump supporters doing the things you think will, hopefully, result in death. Why spin away from it when we both know what you meant? That’s not being very honest.

Nope. Never said any of that. But if lies and propaganda are what you need to make an argument, far be it from me to stop you

lol

I’m lying? If you’re contending your high sounding views on people assembling/protesting are the same regardless of the side they’re on, it’s pretty obvious that’s the lie.

 

[Dayton3]

Why do people think everything people have a "right" to is not limited in some way?

 

[Ikari]

Ah but you say you do believe masks and lockdowns is/are necessary so you’re advocating Trump supporters doing the things you think will, hopefully, result in death. Why spin away from it when we both know what you meant? That’s not being very honest.



I’m lying? If you’re contending your high sounding views on people assembling/protesting are the same regardless of the side they’re on, it’s pretty obvious that’s the lie.

I never said people couldn't, regardless of position. I merely stated that protesting wearing a mask and protesting the State killing someone are on different levels.

lol

And if you think I was advocating Trumpeteer deaths, then that means you believe masks and the lockdown were beneficial. So why would you protest a beneficial act?

lol

Keep spinning though, it's pretty funny.

 

[Fletch]

I never said people couldn't, regardless of position. I merely stated that protesting wearing a mask and protesting the State killing someone are on different levels.

But thats a dumb argument. Freedom of assembly is freedom of assembly. The right to assemble and petition the government is not somehow less important because you dont agree with the reasons for doing it.

lol

And if you think I was advocating Trumpeteer deaths, then that means you believe masks and the lockdown were beneficial. So why would you protest a beneficial act?

You were advocating that because YOU think the masks and lockdowns were beneficial.

lol

 

[Ikari]

But thats a dumb argument. Freedom of assembly is freedom of assembly. The right to assemble and petition the government is not somehow less important because you dont agree with the reasons for doing it.

lol

You were advocating that because YOU think the masks and lockdowns were beneficial.

lol

I didn't say anything about people's ability to assembly and protest

lol

I wasn't advocating anything, I was just using the standard right-wing line regarding the lockdowns and masks

lol