One of the most striking things about the protests against police brutality this time around is how they are being covered by the media. Mostly gone are the investigations and digging into wrongdoing of victims and the suspicious eye toward protesters and activists. In its place is coverage that has mostly focused on the righteous aims of the protestors and the overwhelming systemic oppression of black people in this country. Media coverage is hugely influential in how these events are discussed and absorbed by the public, and this comes at a time when media and journalism as an industry is highly scrutinized and is being disrupted by the messy intervention of social media and more independent outlets. Newsrooms are also in flux as WHO is covering the protests has changed substantially if not nearly enough.
We brought in Erika Smith, the newest columnist at the LA Times who is black and queer, as well as our own producer Allison Joy to discuss the many competing forces surrounding media and its response to and coverage of this world-shifting movement.
