The media does often seem to fan the flames.
 

10,000 Strong Peacefully Protest In Downtown Baltimore, Media Only Reports The Violence & Arrest of Dozens | BLACK WESTCHESTER

This is kind of sad that the media did not focus on this rather than all the negative stuff.

When the National Guard gets called out the situation is serious. Personally, I want to be informed about it. Many of my relatives live in the Baltimore area. I have called them to see if they are safe. Fortunately they are, so far.

Back in 1968 I was in the Maryland National Guard and was called up for the riots in Baltimore for 9 or 10 days. It was bad then. It is bad now.

I agree the media blew up the situation in Sanford and Ferguson. The media seems to be treating Baltimore in more of a ho hum, just more of the same old, same old, manner. The thugs rioting were just looking for an excuse to vandalize, steal and burn, IMHO. The mayor clearly mishandled the situation, too.

I am just saying that they should be reporting about the peaceful much larger demonstrations as well as the small group of arsonists, looters, and the like who are causing such destruction? And, from what I gather is not most of this damage in the same neighborhoods as these looters, thugs, etc. They are pretty much burning down where they would shop.

I am sure there are sociopaths who would use any excuse to harm others and these come in all races, economic levels, etc.

If you read down to the 5th paragraph of your link it says there were hundreds of people pushing into lines of police. That's a lot of people.

Reporting the worst is standard operating procedure. See the picture on the front of today's daily sun. Should they have published pictures of homes that were not harmed by the earthquake?

My beef with the mainstream media is that it does indeed frequently intentionally misinform the public thereby fanning the flames. This occurs so often I believe little when it is initially reported. I have no problem with the media when they get the facts straight, which they do from time to time. Their various agendas apparently get in the way of simply reporting the facts far too often.

What's really sad is that the stupid people are rioting and burning the businesses that their hardworking neighbors and relatives worked all their lives and risked everything to build, and trained their children from an early age to know how to work and earn a living in.

As in Ferguson, nobody shows the innocent working business owners who actually pay for all these morons' existence, working as "tax slaves".

There's no elected leadership standing up to the gangs/thugs. Apparently they want entrepreneurs and self-employed decent citizens' put out of business, so they have to come begging and become government dependents. Very sad for our nation.

The flames in Baltimore on the news LOOKED REAL to me!

Like. (button needed)

I agree.
Unfortunately, it's what sells.

I never said they were not. The larger peaceful demonstrations are real too.

The media stays in tight and it gives one the impression that Baltimore is out of control.

Early today there was a news report showing the typical in close proximity scene with the protestors. Then tha camera pulled back (in a helicopter) and in less than two blocks there was hardly anybody out and about.

Remember the media views most issues/events through a straw. If they were looking at the side of an elephant they would be tap dancing around with how the world is all of a sudden turning gray!!

Malik Zulu Shabazz, the main speaker and instigator of the "peaceful protest" is the head of the New Black Panther Movement. His hateful agenda is most likely the reason there isn't more widespread coverage in the mainstream media. During the peaceful protests he was calling for the rioters to "shut it down" meaning the city of Baltimore. Carl Dix, the spokesperson for the Revolutionary Communist Party, USA was also in attendance at this rally. There were other radicals in attendance.

AHA! So this is "the rest of the story".

News programming uses the philosophy "If it bleeds it leads." And of course we are drawn to the macabre. Ever wonder how the Roman Colosseum managed to have standing room only for hundreds of years even during a time of Christianity.
More viewers equals more advertising revenue. Back in the Golden Age of television with three local TV channels and 30 minutes of nightly news, it was difficult to be overdosed with the insanity of the world.

As I have told my kids....YOUR most recent act defines you. You can do all kinds of good things, but if you screw up, that is what folks are gonna remember.

A bunch of good mama's and papa's could help this whole damn situation, if you ask me.

bump

I liked what David Muir did last night like interviewing some elementary teachers who were protesting against the violence along with many other people. He was right their at the dividing line between the police line and that of the protesters.

Some media can be different.

Also liked Jon Steward's comment about caring about Baltimore before in was on fire.

I know about the "if it bleeds, it leads" philosophy. Anyone remember the movie or play The Front Page? It still seems relevant in 2015. I saw a play of it at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021890/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Front_Page http://www.guthrietheater.org/about_...right_19861995

:agree: If I recall the Scott Adams quote, one "Oh sh*t" can erase a thousand "Attaboys".

At the risk of being beat up I would like to say that FOX NEWS last night did an excellent job of showing the other side of the protest. The lines of community members placing themselves between the police and the protestors, interviewing community leaders and showing them encouraging people to go home and honor the curfew.

I saw that last night. I agree with your post, and the "through a straw" analogy.

Peaceful protests are one of our rights under the Constitution. It is not really newsworthy when people exercise their rights. OK, it might be a bit more newsworthy when a lot of people exercise their rights at the same time, but it still doesn't warrant the coverage that thousands of people breaking the law by rioting, setting fires, looting and assaulting the police would.

Peaceful protests go on every day in this country. They're not really news.
What's going on in Baltimore is news.

You can do something to alleviate the affects of such violence as that you saw in Baltimore.

If you have a hometown library which you used to visit check their website for links to victim/assistance provides, mental health support groups and practical materials, NOLO legal materials about your rights, and whatever else your wisdom about your old community tells you that someone in a situation like that of Baltimore might need.

Check the hometown police department web-site as well. Does it have links to victim/assistance providers, mental health assistance, etc?

I have been pestering librarians all over the US about such resources on -and-off since 2000 mainly focusing on survivors/victims rights/services materials but see that mental health resources are also critical.

Nolo materials-- http://www.nolo.com/?utm_source=goog...%20forms|pmt|b

Here's something in Florida that you would hope would be linked from Sheriffs' Offices and all public libraries-- http://myfloridalegal.com/directory

Large peaceful protests almost always make the news. I remember taking part in a very large group of people trying to create a chain of people around Rocky Mountain Flats. This made the national news.

Not sure why your source calls 235 arrests mere "dozens".
There were 159 fires and 20 injured police officers.

I'm still in shock that obama called the rioters and looters "thugs".

He no longer needs to worry about votes.

He called rioters and looters thugs. What's so shocking about that? Seems to be a proper term to me.

Better than his last quote..............he could have been my son.

;)

In "schock". You must be kidding.



Thug | Definition of thug by Merriam-Webster

Maybe I'm missing something...
when Ferguson was getting torn up there was this demand that the Mayor and Police chief had to go. Why is this different?
Suddenly it's time for "the nation to do some soul searching..."
Also, can anyone explain what the National Guard was called out for? Same thing in Ferguson - have a huge police presence and National Guard and they stand around watching the place get looted and burned down.
Some moron was on TV yesterday bragging about how quickly he responded to the decision to have the National Guard on standby. Why did they bother?
Of the arrests. How many were just "failure to disperse." I would be shocked if there were any arsonists or looters arrested. The Mayor and Police Chief don't really sound overly concerned i.e. "they're children" "it's only property."

Calling rioters, looters, attackers "thugs" is now considered racist according to social media.

sarcasm

Believe that thug comes from thuggies a rather vicious group of bandits from India. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thuggee

You are right. I have always heard the term thug growing up in a large city and what it meant then. But meanings change and I guess thug is an example. I liked the old meaning better.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/article...w-n-world.html

Let's not ruin another perfectly good and descriptive word: THUG
a violent person, especially a criminal.
synonyms: ruffian · hooligan · vandal · hoodlum · gangster · villain · criminal ·
I, for one, will continue to use the word where appropriate. THUG

I live here. And the media isn't overstating the truth.

The media does drive the discussion. Example is this thread being driven by the death of a man in police custody. If someone could come up with the hours of news coverage given this death compared to the other violent murders committed during these two weeks the ratio would not make sense. I for one do not think police brutality is the real problem but instead out of control crime. Media would do much better shining some light on that.

I believe rhat one day a man won't be judged by the color of his skin but by the quality of his character....MLK must be crying in his grave.