Baltimore Officials and the Media Blame Game

[By Howard Fencl]  You cannot criticize TV media for doing their job. Baltimore City Council President Jack Young blasted the media for covering protests that erupted into a night of violence, wanton looting and destruction. Protests were initially peaceful in response to the death of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old African-American who died from an unexplained spinal injury while in police custody. But tempers flared and violence exploded on Monday night when a confrontation between teenagers and police spun out of control. Arsonists lit more than 140 fires and a number of businesses were looted, according to authorities. Media coverage was wall-to-wall.

At a press conference the next day, Council President Young excoriated the media for covering the riots: “I’m heartbroken and I’m disturbed about how the news media are focusing on the negativity of this city and not looking at the great things that are going on in this city,” he said. “…you’re focusing on the people who are burning down buildings and rioting throughout the streets of Baltimore. Show the positive people who are out there trying to stop these folk from doing this.”

CNN’s Anderson Cooper was quick to respond to Young’s criticism: “I’m not sure what he thinks cameras should be focused on at a time when police cars are being destroyed and lit on fire, 15 police officers are being injured and stores are being looted.” And, to Young’s point, there was extensive media coverage of one mother who spotted her son among protestors, and boldly exercised her parental prerogative to drag him home by the ear.

Every breaking story runs a cycle, with new developments that are touch points for follow-up media coverage. The media gave extensive coverage to Freddie Gray’s death. When protests began, news cameras were there. When protests turned ugly, the story led most every U.S. newscast. As a long-time TV news manager, I’d expect media to report extensively on community rebuilding, on legal developments, and on efforts to mend police-community relations.

You can criticize media when they get the facts wrong or distort them. In this instance, Baltimore Mayor Rawlings-Blake was correct in lambasting media for mischaracterizing her statement that police should “give those who wished to destroy space to do that.” The statement may have been a gaffe, but some media reported that the mayor was giving violent protesters a license to riot.

When your story becomes the focus of news coverage, you cannot expect media to “pretty up” your issue. A number of journalists were attacked, beaten and robbed trying to cover the Baltimore riot. They will take nearly any risk necessary to get a story. It’s their job. It’s your job to make sure they get it right, and to get to the root of the issue that invited news coverage and fix it so it never happens again. That will be a long and arduous healing process for the people of Baltimore. Council President Young should make certain the media is looped into progress milestones so the city’s healing process makes headlines as well.