Protest coverage often casts protesters and their causes in a negative light, particularly when covering underrepresented groups. To help journalists frame stories in ways that do not harm these groups, the Center for Media Engagement examined two story areas of particular concern.
The results showed that stories that humanize — rather than criminalize — the person whose death sparked a protest can lead people to have more positive attitudes toward the person, the protest itself and the protesters. Additionally, stories that legitimize protests can result in more positive attitudes toward the protest and the protesters.
When it comes to story credibility, stories that humanize the person whose death sparked a protest can lead Democrats and those with Democrat-leaning views to perceive the news story as more credible. However, it can also lead Republicans and those with Republican-leaning views to perceive the story as less credible.
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