Protests or riots? Media wages war for control of narrative: Bias Breakdown

As people took to the streets of Los Angeles following recent arrests by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), national media outlets are again at odds over how to categorize the demonstrations. Viewers tuning in to different networks are seeing different versions of the same story — some describing peaceful protests, others highlighting scenes of violence. Media outlets with a left- and right-leaning political bias are aware of the sharp contrast in coverage and are criticizing the other side’s framing of the national story.

News personalities battle over ‘protest’ and ‘riot’ terminology

Fox News’ Greg Gutfeld offered a sharp critique of coverage from left-leaning outlets, saying, “The media downplays the violence and mayhem because they support the cause.” He added, “Our eyes can see the destruction, but their mouths are trying to get into our ears, telling us it’s mostly peaceful, but there’s no better persuasion than the visual.”

MSNBC host Jen Psaki pushed back on that kind of framing. 

“Fox News has been using the [car burning] image like wallpaper to depict the city of LA in a state of complete chaos. They don’t want you to see what you see on the screen right now,” Psaki said, referencing images of peaceful assemblies. “They want you to see chaos and violence.”

War of words in the media

During coverage of the events in LA, MSNBC described the demonstrations as “overwhelmingly peaceful.” Meanwhile, Fox News’ Harris Faulkner called them “anti-immigration riots” and referred to demonstrators as “agitators, or criminals, as I call them.”

CNN, a news outlet with a left political bias, drew a distinction in its broadcast. Senior analyst Juliette Kayyem on June 8 said, “Let’s start with, there’s protest — lawful protest, which is allowed in this country — and there is some unrest.”

Newsmax, a news outlet with a right political bias, condemned networks calling the demonstrations “protests.” Anchor Rob Finnerty stated, “If you’re watching television and you see a banner on TV that’s still calling the riots anti-ICE protests, change the channel immediately because you’re being lied to.”

Similar rhetoric, accusing left outlets of lies, came from a fellow right-leaning network in Fox News. Anchor Jesse Watters said, “Democrats are covering up the riots like Biden’s brain,” and “‘I didn’t see violence’ is the new ‘I didn’t see Biden decline.’ The whole country sees violence on their TVs, on their phones.”

MSNBC host Chris Hayes objected, countering that right-leaning news outlets are the ones who are misleading viewers.

“The overwhelming majority of protests in Los Angeles have been peaceful,” Hayes said. “You, of course, would not know that watching Fox News, which has been relentlessly covering the protests like a scene out of “RoboCop,” as if Los Angeles was at risk of burning to the ground any second.”

Turning to the definition of a riot

Merriam-Webster defines a riot as “a violent public disorder.” Laws at both the state and federal levels offer more specific definitions. In California, for example, a riot involves “the use of force or violence, disturbing the public peace,” by two or more people. Under federal law, a riot consists of an act of violence by one or more individuals that “results in damage or injury to the property of any other person or to the person of any other individual.”

In journalism, The Associated Press Stylebook is widely considered the gold standard for news writing. It defines a riot as “a wild or violent disturbance of the peace involving a group of people.” The guide also cautions journalists that “focusing on rioting and property destruction rather than underlying grievance has been used in the past to stigmatize broad swaths of people protesting.”

Notably, the AP held a “center” bias rating for years but now carries a “left” political bias, according to media watchdog groups. Despite advising more neutral alternatives, such as “unrest” or “revolt,” the AP has, at times, opted to use the word “riot” in its own coverage.

When words shape public perception

ABC News described a recent LA demonstration as “protesters and federal agents clashing” in “violent confrontations” and noted “chaos and vandalism” in the same report. NBC described similar events as “protesters setting two cars on fire” and throwing rocks at officers.

In both cases, the term “protest” was used — despite actions that legally and visually fit the definition of a riot.

Right-leaning networks have also been criticized for softening terminology, particularly during the breaching of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. Some networks initially described the incident as involving “protesters” even as the Capitol was being unlawfully entered.

Fox News reported, “You have protesters in the Capitol building,” while another commentator reported, “The House and Senate are in recess amid protesters breaching the Capitol.”

These actions were unlawful and, therefore, also better fit the dictionary and legal descriptions of actions by a rioter or a riot.

Media rages for control of the narrative

Journalists have a responsibility to use language thoughtfully. Describing someone holding a sign as a “rioter” is just as misleading as calling someone who sets a car on fire a “protester.” As the debate over “mostly peaceful” versus “rioting” continues, it’s clear that each label carries implications and can be a form of media bias when improperly interchanging “protest” and “riot.”

The question of whether to call a mass event a “protest” or a “riot” is more than semantics — it shapes public understanding and emotional response. As political divides grow sharper, so too does the need for careful, accurate and unbiased reporting.

Two things can be true at once: a protest can be peaceful, and a subset of individuals may turn it into something that fits the definition of a riot. Distinguishing between the two is essential, and underreporting one side of the story is a form of media bias.

Flashback to 2020

The current debate mirrors coverage from the summer of 2020 when protests erupted nationwide after George Floyd’s death. In a number of cities, widespread looting and destruction of property occurred to the extent that media outlets on both sides of the political spectrum used the term “riot” to describe them on occasion. Networks like CNN were criticized for captions like “Fiery but mostly peaceful protests” as flames blazed behind reporters.

A media analysis shared by watchdog group AllSides examined coverage of the 2020 unrest. It found that left-leaning media outlets were significantly less likely to use the word “riot” in headlines, while right-leaning outlets used “protest” much less frequently. The group attributed the disparity to political bias and editorial framing.

The study found that left-leaning outlets largely focused their coverage on the social issues being raised by demonstrators, particularly racial injustice, a key cause for many on the political left. In contrast, right-leaning outlets emphasized incidents of looting and violence attributed to “rioters and agitators.” According to the media analysis, both sides tended to underreport the elements highlighted by the other.

AllSides concluded its reporting over “riot” and “protest” terminology in the media with this: After the 2008 financial crash, it was said the United States had the most advanced capitalism, so it also had the most advanced failures. This truth extends to our news. We have the most advanced media, so we also have the most advanced propaganda.