Cable news called violent L.A. protests ‘peaceful’ 211 times

Cable news took a curious detour into fantasy land, labeling fiery Los Angeles riots as “peaceful” no fewer than 211 times. A recent study exposed this disconnect, raising eyebrows about media narratives that seem to defy reality. It’s a head-scratcher that begs the question: What exactly qualifies as “peaceful” these days?

Between June 7 and June 11, CNN and MSNBC described protests targeting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents as “peaceful” despite rioters burning cars and hurling cinder blocks at police. The Media Research Center (MRC) published these findings on Friday, spotlighting a glaring gap between rhetoric and reality.

The protests aimed to block ICE agents from conducting raids in Los Angeles. While some may have started with good intentions, the scene quickly turned chaotic. Cars went up in flames, and law enforcement faced a barrage of heavy objects.

Study Exposes Media Mislabeling

CNN led the charge, using “peaceful” 123 times to describe the unrest. MSNBC wasn’t far behind with 88 mentions. One wonders if their anchors were watching the same footage as the rest of us.

The MRC study zeroed in on statements from anchors, reporters, and supposedly non-partisan guests. From 5:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. ET each day, these networks spun a narrative that clashed with the chaos on the ground. It’s almost as if “peaceful” became a reflex, not a description.

“The Media Research Center shows that between June 7th and 11th, CNN and MSNBC had a reference to the protests as ‘peaceful’ 211 times — as if they were trying to make the — drive that point home,” said Fox News anchor Dana Perino. Her words, shared on “America’s Newsroom” Monday, cut through the fog of misreporting. The repetition feels less like journalism and more like a branding exercise.

Riots Contradict ‘Peaceful’ Narrative

Former White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany noted the shift in coverage. “Yeah, and I actually saw this pivot in real time where it was ‘peaceful, peaceful, peaceful,’ and then on that Sunday afternoon the cars were burning, there were scooters being tossed onto the hoods of police cars, and all of a sudden that ‘peaceful’ adjective made its way out of the coverage, at least temporarily,” she said. Reality, it seems, forced a brief retreat from the script.

CNN’s Brian Stelter tried to thread the needle on June 9, saying, “The intention, it seems, is to lump in violent rioters and peaceful protestors.” Nice try, but blending the two muddles the truth. Burning cars aren’t a footnote; they’re a headline.

Erin Burnett, also on CNN, admitted some violence but doubled down. “There were some incidents of violence. There were specific individuals involved in that. By and large, peaceful protest,” she said on June 11. Minimizing cinder blocks as “incidents” feels like a stretch, to put it mildly.

MSNBC Echoes Misleading Claims

MSNBC’s Chris Hayes took it further, framing the protests as a noble stand against overreach. “Donald Trump can try to turn the military into a partisan tool, mobilizing the National Guard and even the Marines against peaceful protestors,” he said on June 11. Painting rioters as First Amendment heroes while police dodge bricks is a bold choice.

Nicolle Wallace, also on MSNBC, followed suit. “Donald Trump referred to those peaceful protestors exercising their First Amendment rights as insurrectionists,” she claimed on June 11. It’s a curious definition of “peaceful” when the streets are littered with scorched vehicles.

The MRC’s Newsbusters report pulled no punches, citing specific examples of this rhetorical sleight-of-hand. Anchors and guests leaned hard into the “peaceful” label, even as visuals told a different story. It’s the kind of disconnect that erodes trust in media.

Why the Disconnect Matters

This isn’t just about word choice; it’s about shaping perceptions. Calling riots “peaceful” risks downplaying the danger faced by law enforcement and communities. It’s a narrative that prioritizes ideology over accuracy.

The study’s findings resonate with conservatives who feel the media often tilts left, sanitizing chaos to fit a progressive frame. Yet, even those who sympathize with the protesters’ cause deserve honest reporting, not sugarcoated spin. Truth shouldn’t be the casualty of agenda-driven coverage.

America needs journalism that reflects reality, not one that polishes it for primetime. The MRC study is a wake-up call: Words matter, and so does getting them right. Let’s hope cable news takes note before the next car goes up in flames.