Police attacks against journalists across the U.S. since May 28 (niemanlab.org)

Article summary

US police have attacked journalists at least 140 times since May 28, with many incidents involving clearly identifiable press being deliberately targeted. The attacks have been documented by organizations such as Bellingcat and the US Press Freedom Tracker, which has counted over 300 press freedom violations. The violence against journalists is a widespread pattern, not isolated incidents, and has been observed in several cities, with Minneapolis being a hotspot. The attacks have sparked concerns about press freedom and the safety of journalists covering protests.

Main themes

• police brutality
• press freedom
• journalist safety
• institutionalized malice
• lack of accountability
• media bias
• protest coverage

What commenters say

• The leadership's animosity towards journalists, fueled by rhetoric like 'fake news', has contributed to the violence against them.
• The police's behavior is not a new phenomenon, but rather a continuation of a long-standing pattern of tension between law enforcement and the press.
• The recent attacks on journalists are a disturbing escalation of police brutality, with some incidents involving officers forcing weapons into the hands of protesters or committing perjury to justify their actions.
• The problem lies not only with individual officers, but also with the institutionalized culture of malice and impunity within some police departments.
• Nurses and other professionals face similar stresses and verbal abuse, but are expected to maintain their composure and not respond with brutality, unlike some police officers.
• The lack of accountability and punishment for police misconduct has created an environment where officers feel emboldened to commit abuses without fear of consequences.
• There is no such thing as unbiased news coverage, and all news outlets exhibit some degree of bias in their selection and presentation of stories.
• Reading news from multiple sources with different perspectives can help to mitigate bias and gain a more nuanced understanding of events.