I finally saw a campus protest up close and the news got it all wrong

I was at State University last Thursday for the sit-in about the visiting speaker. The local news report said students were shouting down the speaker, but I was there for an hour and they were totally silent, just sitting with signs. The article didn't even mention the 50 campus police officers standing by, which felt like a big part of the scene. It really makes you wonder how much gets missed or twisted. Has anyone else been at an event that was reported totally differently?

3 comments

3 Comments

martin.riley1mo ago

My local paper got the crowd size wrong at our town meeting last month.

vera1951mo ago

Honestly, getting the exact number right is so hard though! Those rooms are packed and people are moving around. I've been to a few where I'd swear there were 200 people but the fire marshal count was way lower. Papers have tiny staffs now, they're probably just going by a quick look. It's not like they're trying to trick anyone, they just have to print something by deadline. A rough estimate is still useful to show it was a busy night.

roberts.leo1mo ago

Yeah that tracks, I mean the silent protest part. The cops being left out is wild though.

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