In an update to the coverage totals posted by NewsBusters’s Nick Fondacaro here and here, the flagship major broadcast networks CBS and NBC still have yet to acknowledge the Antifa violence committed on Saturday in Portland, Oregon, which included the brutal beating and milkshaking of Quillette’s Andy Ngo, which left him badly injured with a brain bleed.
Along with CBS and NBC, MSNBC and The New York Times have joined them in the refusal to denounce this legitimate, actual attack (sorry not sorry, Jim Acosta) on a journalist for simply doing their job. And since Sunday’s Good Morning America, ABC had not offered an update.
In contrast to MSNBC, fellow liberal cable network CNN had at least offered a decent share of coverage considering their aversion to anything that goes against their preconceived narratives and endorsement of Antifa’s radical, violent actions and beliefs by some at the network.
Since 5:00 a.m. Sunday morning, CNN has spent five minutes and 26 seconds on the violence in Portland. Unfortunately, 47 seconds of that time (spread out over two hours of CNN Newsroom) didn’t note that one of those hurt was, in fact, a journalist (who also happens to be Asian and gay).
Monday’s CNN Right Now devoted a full report to what transpired, including Ngo’s injuries. However, the story was spun with Ngo being dubbed a “conservative blogger” and mentioned alongside “far-right,” white nationalist groups like the Proud Boys.
So, yes, folks, CNN played the “both sides” card.
When it came to describing Antifa, here was how Sidner described them (click “expand”):
Look, you had a couple of different groups that came into Portland to protest, to share their message, far-right groups, to spread their message to the masses, whoever would listen to them, and they often gather at different squares and that's exactly what happened here, but often, as is normal in Portland, there is always a huge reaction to that. Sometimes far bigger than the far-right groups and, in this case the same, who have gathered. The Antifa — anti-fascists, if you will, came out for sure and we should, you know, sort of be clear that there are a lot of different people that were out there who may not consider themselves a member of the anti-fascist group, but there are certainly a group called Rose City Antifa, who was out there[.]
Sidner showed pictures and video of Antifa attacking Ngo and pictures from his trip to the emergency room with some injuries sustained from being “getting hit with what looked like a milkshake, but police were very clear in saying, look, it appears that there was some sort of quick-drying cement that was mixed into that so-called milkshake.”
To Sidner’s credit, she then denounced Antifa and ruled that cities like Berkeley, California, and Portland, Oregon need to have “a serious conversation” because of “have groups like this who are there in — to be militant and to violently oppose people from the right.”
“[B]ut then you see the violence unleashed on this conservative blogger and it's unacceptable behavior. Even if you don't like the ideals, the whole point is that you're allowed to have free speech in this country and I think that's a conversation that America needs to — needs to have, especially in cities like Portland, where this happens quite often,” she added, before spending the rest of the segment ruling harping on the Proud Boys and other far-right groups.
Going to the major newspapers, The Times was silent in the MRC’s Washington Edition copies (for Sunday and Monday). The Washington Post wasn’t much better, providing a partial Associated Press wire story on A3 in Sunday’s print edition. The total word count? A scant 239 words accompanied by the headline “Opposing groups clash in downtown Portland.”
USA Today’s first print edition since Ngo’s attack came on Monday and, like CNN, they did more than a few seconds on it. Reporter John Bacon had a 350-word dispatch on 2A that, also like CNN, had a similar spin with the print headline “Right- and left-wingers battle in Oregon” (altered slightly for the online one here).
Here’s an excerpt (click “expand”):
Oregon's largest city was calm and quiet Sunday after a day of chaotic, competing protests that clogged Portland streets, crippled public transit and left at least eight people injured.
Police in riot gear broke up the demonstrations as clashes developed among law enforcers, anti-fascist "antifa" protesters and right-wing groups. Three people were charged with crimes ranging from assault on a police officer to harassment, police said.
(....)
Andy Ngo, an editor with the conservative website "Quillette," tweeted photos of cuts and bruises on his face. He said on Twitter he was hit multiple times with fists and weapons.
"Attacked by antifa. Bleeding," he tweeted. "They stole my camera equipment. No police until after. waiting for ambulance. If you have evidence of attack please help."
Protesters also clashed with police, throwing water bottles and eggs at officers, and three were among those injured.
Police had reports of protesters throwing "milkshakes" – with a substance mixed in that was similar to a quick-drying cement.
To see the relevant transcript from July 1's CNN Right Now, click “expand.”
CNN Right Now
July 1, 2019
1:20 p.m. Eastern[ON-SCREEN HEADLINE: Violent Demonstration; 8 Injured as Far-Right and Anti-Fascist Groups Clash in Portland]
BRIANNA KEILAR: There was a violent confrontation in Portland between anti-fascist protesters and members of several right-wing groups, including the far-right Proud Boys. Several arrests were made. Eight people were injured, including at least three police officers. Conservative blogger Andy Ngo was attacked by some of the protesters and Sara Sidner has been following this story for us. Tell us what happened here.
SARA SIDNER: Look, you had a couple of different groups that came into Portland to protest, to share their message, far-right groups, to spread their message to the masses, whoever would listen to them, and they often gather at different squares and that's exactly what happened here, but often, as is normal in Portland, there is always a huge reaction to that. Sometimes far bigger than the far-right groups and, in this case the same, who have gathered. The Antifa — anti-fascists, if you will, came out for sure and we should, you know, sort of be clear that there are a lot of different people that were out there who may not consider themselves a member of the anti-fascist group, but there are certainly a group called Rose City Antifa, who was out there and I want to just show you the pictures here of what happened, so Andy Ngo is a conservative blogger and what you'll notice is people know his name. They know — they know each other. Portland has this happen quite often. Here he is after getting hit with what looked like a milkshake, but police were very clear in saying, look, it appears that there was some sort of quick-drying cement that was mixed into that so-called milkshake and he was hit with it and you see the damage. I mean, he was hurt, badly hurt, and had to be — had to be taken to the hospital. He went to the E.R. there and you’ll see in the video here, you see it splash on him. You see eggs being thrown at him and then you see him sort of being marked with silly string and all of this is sort of a tactic and you hear people cursing at him and calling all kinds of names. You see that man throwing something at the back of his head and I think a serious conversation has to be had, especially in places like Portland and Berkeley, where you have groups like this who are there in — to be militant and to violently oppose people from the right. The right are opposed in great numbers in Portland. You will see people peacefully protesting. The police did say there were, you know, many people there just peacefully protesting these groups, but then you see the violence unleashed on this conservative blogger and it's unacceptable behavior. Even if you don't like the ideals, the whole point is that you're allowed to have free speech in this country and I think that's a conversation that America needs to — needs to have, especially in cities like Portland, where this happens quite often.
KEILAR: Yeah, he's a human being, you know —
SIDNER: Yeah.
KEILAR: — first and foremost. So, Sara, tell us about these other groups who were there. Who all was there?
SIDNER: So there is a group called Proud Boys and they’re neo- fascists and — and they are very well-known and they are all over the place. They're in neighborhoods here in Los Angeles. They appear in different places trying to spread their message of, for example, white nationalism. Although many of these far right groups have tried to rebrand themselves, if you will, to seem, you know, more PR, you know, centric, where they're trying to put on a different face, but, ultimately, they have some white nationalist ideals. Then you have this other grouped called the Him Too movement, and that's in reaction, as you may easily have figured out, to the Me Too movement and they say, look, their purpose is to stand up against false accusations of rape. You had another person there, a conservative, who came out to speak about ideals and what happens is, Oregon is kind of a powder keg because you do have militia groups that are far-right that are in several different parts of Oregon, and then you have a very strong group of folks from the Antifa movement who — anti-fascists who are also in big cities like Portland and when they come together, it is always combustible. Three people were arrested, according to police.
KEILAR: Alright, Sara Sidner, thank you so much for that.
