NEWS OUTLETS ARE NOT GIVING THE FULL STORY ON THE BLACK LIVES MATTER PROTESTS
By Julia Diaz
El Rodeo Staff Writer
El Rodeo Staff Writer
With the recent protests in honor of George Floyd and the Black Lives Matter movement, social media has been flooded with helpful information surrounding the issues at hand.
Countless Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram users have been using their accounts to share links for donations and ways to get involved from home. Influencers have begun to use their platform to bring awareness to the important issues in hopes of persuading their followers to take action alongside them.
Streets all around the world have been taken over by protestors; and with all 50 states advocating for the Black Lives Matter movement, unity among the people has been seen like never before. Videos of peaceful protests, empowering speeches, and chilling photos were uploaded across the web, quickly after things went south. Things took a turn when a video of a barren target surfaced on the internet. The video claimed that protestors had broken into the store one night and looted the merchandise inside.
Outrage sparked and the media took its opportunity to twist the story. They claimed that the protests taking place were nothing other than excuses to wreak havoc and destroy public property. Videos of protests turned violent were quickly uploaded and broadcasted. These videos included footage of burning buildings, vandalized stores, and a police station is destroyed.
Twitter users were quick to counter these videos with footage of police officers abusing their power and using unnecessary violence to silence the protestors.
On the other side of the spectrum, there are videos of police cars running into barriers protecting protestors, a police officer macing a young child, countless rubber bullets shot at people point-blank, and the police smashing in their car windows.
Videos of protestors shielding stores, aiding injured people on the sides, begging police officers to walk by their sides, peacefully attempting to engage conversation with officers never made the cut. They were pushed to the side and drowned out by the negatives.
The world is caught in between two sides of a powerful story, and when the media purposely leaves out videos that show the true nature of the police assigned to control crowds, they are attempting to fit the exact agenda this movement is trying to change.
However, the people affected by the violence refuse to be silent. Every day new videos surface of police tear-gassing peaceful protestors, and for that and more, the world is demanding justice.
It is our responsibility to fight for the lives lost, the lives being taken, and the lives yet to enter this world. The media can no longer control what we believe when the truth is captured and uploaded on the internet. There will be no rest until the people are heard and justice is served.
Countless Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram users have been using their accounts to share links for donations and ways to get involved from home. Influencers have begun to use their platform to bring awareness to the important issues in hopes of persuading their followers to take action alongside them.
Streets all around the world have been taken over by protestors; and with all 50 states advocating for the Black Lives Matter movement, unity among the people has been seen like never before. Videos of peaceful protests, empowering speeches, and chilling photos were uploaded across the web, quickly after things went south. Things took a turn when a video of a barren target surfaced on the internet. The video claimed that protestors had broken into the store one night and looted the merchandise inside.
Outrage sparked and the media took its opportunity to twist the story. They claimed that the protests taking place were nothing other than excuses to wreak havoc and destroy public property. Videos of protests turned violent were quickly uploaded and broadcasted. These videos included footage of burning buildings, vandalized stores, and a police station is destroyed.
Twitter users were quick to counter these videos with footage of police officers abusing their power and using unnecessary violence to silence the protestors.
On the other side of the spectrum, there are videos of police cars running into barriers protecting protestors, a police officer macing a young child, countless rubber bullets shot at people point-blank, and the police smashing in their car windows.
Videos of protestors shielding stores, aiding injured people on the sides, begging police officers to walk by their sides, peacefully attempting to engage conversation with officers never made the cut. They were pushed to the side and drowned out by the negatives.
The world is caught in between two sides of a powerful story, and when the media purposely leaves out videos that show the true nature of the police assigned to control crowds, they are attempting to fit the exact agenda this movement is trying to change.
However, the people affected by the violence refuse to be silent. Every day new videos surface of police tear-gassing peaceful protestors, and for that and more, the world is demanding justice.
It is our responsibility to fight for the lives lost, the lives being taken, and the lives yet to enter this world. The media can no longer control what we believe when the truth is captured and uploaded on the internet. There will be no rest until the people are heard and justice is served.