As protests and violence continue in Los Angeles over the Trump administration’s immigration policies, some news outlets are doing a good job of laying everything out: examples of peaceful demonstrations, examples of violence, critics of the Trump administration, supporters of an immigrant crackdown, etc.
Conversely, many other news outlets seem to be endorsing one extreme or absolute narrative over any others.
- Suggested protesters engaged in minimal violence
- Suggested law enforcement had made the situation worse
- Suggested a lack of precedent for Trump’s actions
- Framed federal law enforcement actions as necessary
- Framed the left as downplaying the violence
- Framed LA and its leaders as out of control
Some, especially on the right, suggested the city is overwhelmed by riots, vandalism, and looting.
“Anti-ICE Protests Spread Across the Country as Rioting Grips L.A.”, said a National Review News (Lean Right) headline.
Another headline from New York Post (Lean Right) said “LA Mayor Karen Bass imposes curfew on downtown over increased vandalism, looting from riots: ‘Reached a tipping point’”
On the left, some major news sources instead suggested most of the city was under control.
The top of CNN.com (Lean Left) looked like this Tuesday morning:
“Much of the city saw no violence,” according to the Associated Press (Left).
“While Trump has painted Los Angeles as being under siege and out of control, most of the demonstrations this past weekend over his administration's crackdown on illegal immigration has [sic] been concentrated in downtown Los Angeles near the federal building and federal detention center,” ABC News (Lean Left) reported.
That type of framing attracted criticism from many on the right and elsewhere.
“Dem, media outlets insist LA anti-ICE riots are 'peaceful' despite violence, injured cops”, said a Fox News (Right) headline.
Another headline from Washington Examiner (Lean Right) read, “Mostly peaceful riots return as media downplay chaos again”.
On the left, some suggested the federal law enforcement effort has made the situation worse, highlighting an Australian journalist who was hit with a use of rubber bullet and running headlines like, "'Less lethal' weapons: How law enforcement is using force in the LA protests” (USA Today, Lean Left), and “What I Saw in LA Wasn’t an Insurrection. It Was a Police Riot.” (The Nation, Left).
“Trump’s immigration crackdown is the source of pervasive violence,” read an article from The Intercept (Left).
CNN described a video which “appears to show officers in a chaotic situation employing contradictory police tactics,” which CNN said “can often lead to confusion or dangerous outcomes. While one officer appeared to order the man to stand up and leave, the man was quickly tackled by another officer after standing.”
Meanwhile, some on the right described the protests as “well-funded” and “professional.” They highlighted the use of tactical equipment, such as riot shields, against law enforcement officers, and focused on groups who are financially supporting the protests.
“The Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, one of the activist organizers at the center of the Los Angeles protests, received millions in taxpayer dollars through government grants, including federal funding for immigration assistance services,” according to a review from Washington Examiner (Lean Right).
“Unsettling footage has emerged of an anti-ICE protester brazenly doling out tactical gear to masked agitators in Los Angeles as the violence continues to escalate – despite California Gov. Gavin Newsom and other Democrats repeatedly claiming the demonstrations have been largely peaceful,” the New York Post (Lean Right) reported.
Outlets on the right often highlighted protesters burning and spitting on the US flag. Fox News (Right) focused on Trump’s remarks surrounding the flag burnings, in which he called protesters “animals” who “should go to jail for one year.”
Some on the left, like The Independent (Lean Left), conversely, highlighted the Mexican flag as the “symbol of the LA protests.” It did not mention the burning of the US flag and focused on the Mexican flag bearers who claimed to be proud Americans wanting to show support for their Mexican brothers and sisters.
Ultimately, your perception of the unrest in Los Angeles depends on your bias. Americans and media outlets who are frustrated by unauthorized immigration tend to focus on the violence and property destruction, seeing it as a sign of the left subverting the will of people who voted for stronger immigration enforcement — with some even seeing the unrest as akin to an insurrection.
Meanwhile, Americans and media who are sympathetic to immigration may focus on the non-violent aspects of the demonstrations, seeing it as a way to make voices heard and resist a political environment they feel is fueling fear and treating immigrants unjustly. The contrasting coverage among right- and left-leaning outlets showcases the divide among Americans themselves.
Henry A. Brechter is the editor-in-chief of AllSides. He has a Center bias.
This piece was reviewed and edited by Julie Mastrine, Director of Marketing and Media Bias Ratings (Lean Right), and News and Social Media Editors Emily Allen (Left) and Johnathon Held (Lean Right).
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