Current Events > Print Media to Mass Protests: "Please Turn to Page 18"

(+) Yeah! (+)

Heres how newspapers across America minimized one of the largest demonstrations since Trumps return to power.

https://newrepublic.com/article/193683/print-media-downplay-mass-protests

(pictures of newspaper headlines at link)

On Saturday, April 5, hundreds of thousands of Americans took to the streets across the nation to protest the harmful policies of Donald Trumps second term. The Hands Off! demonstrations represented what organizers called the largest single day of protest since Trump entered office with more than 1,100 rallies scheduled in all 50 states. From Chicago to Washington, D.C.; Asheville to Boston; Milwaukee to Louisvillepeople showed up in droves.

CNN reported that organizers estimated millions turned out coast to coast for these protests that united civil rights organizations, veterans, womens rights groups, labor unions, and LGBTQ advocates. Even with conservative estimates, were talking about one of the largest mobilizations in recent American history.

But if you picked up a major print newspaper the next day? Youd barely know it happened.

The New York Times relegated the protests to an image below the fold with a caption instructing readers to turn to page 18 for more information.

The LA Times shoved it in a tiny box in the bottom right-hand corner, sending readers to section B.

The Washington Post threw a teaser at the very bottom of its front page, directing people to the Metro section.

The Boston Globe managed a brief front-page callout mentioning tens of thousands joined marches against Trump and Musk.

And Rupert Murdochs media properties? The New York Post and The Wall Street Journal made no mention whatsoever of the protests on either their April 6 or April 7 front pages. Surprise, surprise.

This isnt just bad journalism. Its a deliberate editorial choice that speaks volumes about how establishment media downplays collective action challenging power.

When hundreds of thousands of people coordinate across an entire nation to protest governmental policies, thats not a page 18 story. Thats not a see more in section B situation. Thats front-page news. Period.

The messaging from these protests was clear and compelling. Organizers articulated specific demands: an end to the billionaire takeover and rampant corruption of the Trump administration; an end to slashing federal funds for Medicaid, Social Security, and other programs working people rely on; and an end to the attacks on immigrants, trans people, and other communities.

This wasnt just a bunch of disgruntled people without purpose. This was a coordinated resistance with specific grievances and demandsexactly the kind of civic engagement our democracy supposedly values.

I understand cable news had better coverage. But print media still matters enormously for setting the agenda and signaling what deserves public attention. When papers like the Times, Post, and Journal diminish massive protests through placement alone, theyre telling readers: This isnt that important.

What gets front-page treatment instead? The same recycled profiles of Trump voters in diners weve been reading for nine years now. The same bothsides framing that treats authoritarianism as just another policy position. Meanwhile, the actual resistance happening in real time gets buried beneath crossword puzzles and lifestyle sections.

The relegation of these protests to footnotes is more than just an editorial failureits part of a broader pattern where establishment media normalizes extreme policies while marginalizing opposition. We saw it during Trumps first term, and here we are again.

If hundreds of thousands of people gathering across all 50 states to protest doesnt make the front page, what would? Whats the threshold? Or is the real issue that these particular protestsagainst billionaire power grabs, against slashing social programs, against attacks on marginalized communitiesmake too many publishers uncomfortable?

This isnt about bias. Its about basic news judgment. When print outlets bury one of the largest nationwide protests in recent memory, theyre not being neutral arbiters. Theyre making a political choice about what deserves attention and what doesnt.

Bumpo

I dont understand what these protestors think theyre going to do to accomplish other than getting put on a list of who to persecute first

nobody at any level of power has shown any sign they are beholden to the people at all

Absolutely evil by the media. We need more disruption and organization, but just numbers and breadth.

I'm pretty sure this is a decision being made by the owners and editors, not the journalists because there was definitely coverage and in depth/sympathetic interviews where I was.

TheGoldenEel posted...

I dont understand what these protestors think theyre going to do to accomplish other than getting put on a list of who to persecute first

nobody at any level of power has shown any sign they are beholden to the people at all

So what you are saying is that they need to do this but harder

TheGoldenEel posted...

I dont understand what these protestors think theyre going to do to accomplish other than getting put on a list of who to persecute first

The 'roll over and accept fascism' method has never worked well.

I also haven't seen a lot about the Gaza protest in dc (which was also about civil rights) either. It's like they literally minimized it.