As some journalists face intimidation and threats from protesters I think it’s incredibly important that we as an industry recognize that this comes from *a very different place* than from those who see us as “the enemy of the people.” 1/

(To be clear: this is not my way of condoning any violent or virulent behavior towards journalists. It’s just very critical for us all to understand the difference between the two.)

& I raise the point because I’m seeing a lot of “this is a disgusting threat to the first amendment” re: protesters tagging media vans, offices etc.

Indisputably, the industry is not representative of the people we seek to serve. So, we often get their stories wrong. That’s a fact. And that can have deadly consequences.

The people who are taking to the streets to protest oppression are distrustful of the media because historically we are often complicit in that oppression. Full stop. & This is generations in the making.

Off the top of my head examples include: everything from newspapers profiting off of slave ads to recruitment-coverage of the KKK to “A Teenager Grappling with Problems & Promise” re: Michael Brown

So: *this* outrage directed at media is not done in the name of censorship, not as we traditionally talk about it. It is fundamentally different. It is a criticism, and it deserves to be heard.

Lumping this concern in with groups who would truly like to abolish a free press is inaccurate and doesn’t do us any good. They have a right to be distrustful, and we have to work to regain that trust. We have to earn it.

Also to be extra clear: I am not referring to the intimidation of press by the police, which is a horse of a different color.