On June 29 there was a rally with
a counter-protest in Portland, Oregon. The counter-protesters made up of
left-wing groups included the local militant Antifa group. A conservative
journalist by the name of Andy Ngo was beaten so badly that he was taken to the
hospital for treatment.
Footage of the incident was captured
by Jim Ryan, a Portland-based reporter. The footage shows that the
demonstrators threw a milkshake at Ngo, punched him, and yelled at him. He was
an innocent bystander who was attacked in an unprovoked and unnecessary attack.
The attackers had no better reason than they did not like him.
The media response is
interesting. Conservative and mainstream media have covered the incident with
the conclusion that Antifa is evidence of a left-wing violence problem in
America. Leftist/liberal writers and social media accounts tell a different
story. They say that Ngo is a far-right sympathizer who has acted against
Antifa members in the past. The most interesting fact about this whole incident
is the apparent lack of interest of media as a whole.
Freedom of the press is guaranteed
in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, and numerous organizations
claim to provide protection for journalists. However, many of them have not
released any statements in more than a week about Ngo incident. It is reported
that the attack caused a brain hemorrhage. This seems serious enough to warrant
media coverage, but the attention has not come. Why?
This is a good question, but no one
seems to have an answer. These same organizations are quick to jump on any
statements made by the Trump Administration that might sound like it is threatening freedom of the press. Yet, here
is an actual attack on a reporter with no coverage from many organizations. It
seems that freedom of the press may be facing danger from sources other than
the Trump Administration.
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