Anxiety Rises Over Attacks On Media Covering US Protests

A wave of attacks on journalists covering US protests is driving growing anxiety in the media, with some blaming President Donald Trump for creating an atmosphere that encourages violence.

Over the past week media watchdogs have logged scores of incidents of police violence against journalists with crews shot at, beaten, kicked, pepper-sprayed or arrested  with many incidents captured on camera.

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An open letter to law enforcement endorsed by 18 press freedom organizations including the National Press Club and Committee to Protect Journalists called for a halt to “the deliberate and devastating targeting of journalists in the field.”

A tally by media watchdog groups cited 192 press freedom violations during the latest wave of protests including 131 assaults, of which 108 were by police.

The tally included 31 arrests, 46 firings of rubber bullets, 30 cases of damage to equipment, 30 incidents of tear gas and 17 pepper sprayings.

Some media advocates say Trump’s persistent bashing of the mainstream press has opened the door to attacks by undermining the credibility of journalists covering the protests following the police killing of a black man in Minnesota last week.

“This definitely creates an atmosphere where you are likely to see attacks on reporters,” said Len Downie, a former Washington Post executive editor who is a professor at Arizona State University and authored a study earlier this year on the Trump administration and the media.

Downie said that while Trump may not explicitly encourage violence against the press, his harsh rhetoric “deepens the divide” over credibility.

“The country is split between those who believe the president and those who believe the press,” he said.