How The Media Handles Ferguson — And Vice Versa

Published November 25, 2014 at 12:35 PM EST

Demonstrators harass a CNN crew outside the police station as protests continue on October 22, 2014 in Ferguson, Missouri, in the wake of 18-year-old Michael Brown's death. Several days of civil unrest followed the August 9 shooting death of Brown by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson. (Scott Olson/Getty Images)

From the beginning, the media has played a part in the stories it has been reporting about the shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. In the weeks after the shooting, police arrested journalists from The Huffington Post, The Washington Post and other news outlets, failing to distinguish them from protesters.

Last night, St. Louis County prosecutor Robert McCulloch cast blame on what he called the media’s “insatiable appetite for something — anything — to talk about” when announcing the grand jury’s decision not to indict Darren Wilson, the officer who shot Brown on August 8.

NPR Media Correspondent David Folkenflik talks to Here & Now’s Robin Young about the media coverage in Ferguson, including how the press handled last night’s violent protests.

See more media analysis from David Folkenflik
Documents: Grand jury evidence
Documents: Officer Wilson’s testimony

Guest

David Folkenflik, media correspondent for NPR. He tweets @davidfolkenflik.

How The Media Handles Ferguson — And Vice Versa

Guest

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