How does vandalism and looting accomplish anything???

[sunshinehighway]

The issue is though the press should be allowed ANYWHERE the general public is. I do think the police can say "leave this area at your own risk", but they shouldn't be allowed to say "press can only stay here under risk of arrest" unless the public is also under risk of arrest by leaving the area.

I agree.

. A few reporters were picked up and one had his badge yanked off by an officer who told him that when they're dealing with this kind of violence, his badge was not important.

Although the police are in an extremely tense, difficult situation, the above behavior is just not ok with me.

 

[Jedana]

The issue is though the press should be allowed ANYWHERE the general public is. I do think the police can say "leave this area at your own risk", but they shouldn't be allowed to say "press can only stay here under risk of arrest" unless the public is also under risk of arrest by leaving the area.

I agree, with the press understanding that if they come under fire or are in any danger because they leave the "safe" zone, that they are on their own and will not be rescued by the police.

However, as I've said before, the press fans the flames to get their ratings up. Sometimes they do more harm than good, so I understand why the police don't want them in the area.

 

[kmb584]

The issue is though the press should be allowed ANYWHERE the general public is. I do think the police can say "leave this area at your own risk", but they shouldn't be allowed to say "press can only stay here under risk of arrest" unless the public is also under risk of arrest by leaving the area.

Agreed, and the threats being made against the media are a despicable display of power. Chris Hayes from MSNBC was threatened with mace, an Argus Radio photog was told he'd be shot if he didn't move, and many more are being detained for simply doing their job: reporting on the chaos.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Agreed, and the threats being made against the media are a despicable display of power. Chris Hayes from MSNBC was threatened with mace, an Argus Radio photog was told he'd be shot if he didn't move, and many more are being detained for simply doing their job: reporting on the chaos.

Chris Hayes also recklessly tweeted that there was a dead body in the street. For simply doing his job, he knows how to incite chaos. The tweet was uncorrected until then day. Turns out it was a car accident victim who was not dead.

I don't think all the media is their to simply do their job. I think they are there for only one story and will do what they can to make that narrative remains true. So, some are just contributing to the chaos.

 

[sunshinehighway]

Agreed, and the threats being made against the media are a despicable display of power. Chris Hayes from MSNBC was threatened with mace, an Argus Radio photog was told he'd be shot if he didn't move, and many more are being detained for simply doing their job: reporting on the chaos.

It does make me curious about how the community has been handled by police leading up to all of this. Clearly there is a great divide there. Taking the troublemakers out of the equation for a minute, the community is frustrated, angry and just fed up.

 

[skylizard]

However, as I've said before, the press fans the flames to get their ratings up. Sometimes they do more harm than good, so I understand why the police don't want them in the area.

Agreed. All the media cares about nowadays are ratings, not so much reporting accurate news.

 

[sam_gordon]

Agreed. All the media cares about nowadays are ratings, not so much reporting accurate news.

Of course, statements like this are no different than the following:

"Police are just power hungry racists."
"Blacks are nothing but thugs and criminals."

Are there members of the media who just want ratings, and will do whatever it takes to get it? Of course. But the majority want to get the story accurate.

 

[Lisa loves Pooh]

Of course, statements like this are no different than the following:

"Police are just power hungry racists."
"Blacks are nothing but thugs and criminals."

Are there members of the media who just want ratings, and will do whatever it takes to get it? Of course. But the majority want to get the story accurate.

I think in this case, many want the officer to be guilty. They are out to show the Ferguson cops are bad and evil. Sure they are giving them material to work with. But when you look at home base for these reporters, the bias is telling.

Just my thoughts as a former news junky and formerly in the industry.

And back when I was in the news room--what gets covered is precisely about the ratings. Please do not kid yourself. It's always who got the scoop first, ran it first. But now it is fact checking be darned. Hence Chris Hayes "dead body" tweet. It wasn't worth his time to the veracity of his claim before tweeting it to the world. Last thing Ferguson needs is a false report of someone dead on the street.

 

[sam_gordon]

I think in this case, many want the officer to be guilty. They are out to show the Ferguson cops are bad and evil. Sure they are giving them material to work with. But when you look at home base for these reporters, the bias is telling.

Just my thoughts as a former news junky and formerly in the industry.

And back when I was in the news room--what gets covered is precisely about the ratings. Please do not kid yourself. It's always who got the scoop first, ran it first. But now it is fact checking be darned. Hence Chris Hayes "dead body" tweet. It wasn't worth his time to the veracity of his claim before tweeting it to the world. Last thing Ferguson needs is a false report of someone dead on the street.

I was in news myself for a while. I know ratings drive stories. All I'm trying to point out is there are news people who take their jobs seriously and painting all news people with the same brush is the same as painting all police or all protesters with the same brush also.

 

[Geoff_M]

The issue is though the press should be allowed ANYWHERE the general public is. I do think the police can say "leave this area at your own risk", but they shouldn't be allowed to say "press can only stay here under risk of arrest" unless the public is also under risk of arrest by leaving the area.

That sounds good in theory, but unfortunately in practice police cannot refuse to offer assistance to someone who calls out for it simply on the basis of "We told you so...." If, as reported with the Vice crew, a media crew gets in trouble and police are notified, they're still obligated to respond if able. That's the reason that they try and "pen" the media in cases like this. Because it diverts resource if the cops have to police the looters, fight the fires... and rescue reckless members of the media on top of all that.

 

[Gumbo4x4]

Why should the 99% who are law abiding citizens leave to allow the 1% who are criminals the freedom to destroy their homes?

I'd guess the vast majority of the residents in Ferguson are hiding in their houses in fear each night and I'm glad the national guard has been called in to restore some order, they should have been called in earlier.

I have no sympathy for the looters and rioters but great sympathy for those that are protesting peacefully and just trying to live their lives with all this chaos around them.

Local gun shops have been selling hundreds of guns per day to local residents. The majority are doing as you say - just hunkering down in their homes hoping the violence doesn't find them.

 

[sunshinehighway]

That sounds good in theory, but unfortunately in practice police cannot refuse to offer assistance to someone who calls out for it simply on the basis of "We told you so...." If, as reported with the Vice crew, a media crew gets in trouble and police are notified, they're still obligated to respond if able. That's the reason that they try and "pen" the media in cases like this. Because it diverts resource if the cops have to police the looters, fight the fires... and rescue reckless members of the media on top of all that.

The way law enforcement is dealing with the media is alarming, regardless of why and its been going on since the media arrived. I've seen video of officers physically pushing back an on air reporter in the middle of the day while just stand in a quiet crowd reporting, threatening to shoot reporters if they didn't leave.

It also seems to highlight the issues this police department has in dealing with the community. There appears to be little respect for the reporters as not only adults but as people. That's a problem because when you treat people with no respect, they tend to rebel against you. You can't treat adults like insolent children and expect them to go along with it. You can threaten adults with being tear gassed and shot and them to trust you are just looking out for their safety.

 

[Geoff_M]

The way law enforcement is dealing with the media is alarming, regardless of why and its been going on since the media arrived. I've seen video of officers physically pushing back an on air reporter in the middle of the day while just stand in a quiet crowd reporting, threatening to shoot reporters if they didn't leave.

It also seems to highlight the issues this police department has in dealing with the community. There appears to be little respect for the reporters as not only adults but as people. That's a problem because when you treat people with no respect, they tend to rebel against you. You can't treat adults like insolent children and expect them to go along with it. You can threaten adults with being tear gassed and shot and them to trust you are just looking out for their safety.

I agree the local police haven't been earning themselves any points by the way they often handle the media. I'm not here to defend them in that regard. But likewise, when they receive a distress call, they cannot pick and choose who they respond to based on if those in trouble followed their advice.

 

[skater]

I was in news myself for a while. I know ratings drive stories. All I'm trying to point out is there are news people who take their jobs seriously and painting all news people with the same brush is the same as painting all police or all protesters with the same brush also.

I really want to believe that's true. But when I want the whole truth about any major news story, I have to go to at least 5 sources. Just getting the facts without the slant has become a challenge.

 

[TLSnell1981]

.

I don't know what else the officials or anyone can do can do in Ferguson. There .
Then there is the New Black Panthers group who were leading a group chanting, " What's his name?" The crowd answers, "Darren Wilson" the leaders asks, " How do we want him?" The crowd answers, "Dead". That was bad but the worst thing was there were little children in the group.

The New Black Panthers have been joined by the Revolution Club Chicago.

It does make me curious about how the community has been handled by police leading up to all of this. Clearly there is a great divide there. Taking the troublemakers out of the equation for a minute, the community is frustrated, angry and just fed up.

Residents are saying, that it's outsiders inciting the violence. They (locals) were trying to "police" the crowd....begging for calm. Other's have a bigger agenda.

 

[sunshinehighway]

The New Black Panthers have been joined by the Revolution Club Chicago.



Residents are saying, that it's outsiders inciting the violence. They (locals) were trying to "police" the crowd....begging for calm. Other's have a bigger agenda.

Yes but residents are still protesting and have been from the start. There are outsiders and a bad element that are rioting and looting but residents are trying to stop them. The voices of the members of the community are getting somewhat lost and its their voices which should be heard most.

I think there's a tendency to lump protestors and looters into one big group when they are not.

 

[TLSnell1981]

I really want to believe that's true. But when I want the whole truth about any major news story, I have to go to at least 5 sources. Just getting the facts without the slant has become a challenge.

I Chanel surf to get different perspectives. I Google a bit too. The original, uncut, unintentional recording of an eyewitness talking to his neighbors... sounds very credible. I doubt that video would have been posted, if the uploader had listened to it first.

 

[skater]

I Chanel surf to get different perspectives. I Google a bit too. The original, uncut, unintentional recording of an eyewitness talking to his neighbors... sounds very credible. I doubt that video would have been posted, if the uploader had listened to it first.

Agree with all of this.

 

[sunshinehighway]

I really want to believe that's true. But when I want the whole truth about any major news story, I have to go to at least 5 sources. Just getting the facts without the slant has become a challenge.

I don't think that's really true. It appears to me that one can find information from various sides and you just have to look through it and decide where you come down on it.

 

[rickybobby]

The way law enforcement is dealing with the media is alarming, regardless of why and its been going on since the media arrived. I've seen video of officers physically pushing back an on air reporter in the middle of the day while just stand in a quiet crowd reporting, threatening to shoot reporters if they didn't leave.

It also seems to highlight the issues this police department has in dealing with the community. There appears to be little respect for the reporters as not only adults but as people. That's a problem because when you treat people with no respect, they tend to rebel against you. You can't treat adults like insolent children and expect them to go along with it. You can threaten adults with being tear gassed and shot and them to trust you are just looking out for their safety.

Funny that this is basically the same level of respect that has been afforded to law enforcement throughout this entire crisis. But "they are to be held to a higher standard". Hogwash. Everyone should be treated with respect until evidence shows we have reason to lost it.
In that video shot by the person after the shooting, he repeatedly says the dead man was shot "for no reason" as are most around the police tape. He then goes on to say he did not see the incident.