ST. LOUIS — Five years before George Floyd died of “asphyxia-restraint” on a Minneapolis street, 27-year-old Nicholas Gilbert died in a St. Louis police holdover cell with six officers on top of him. He was handcuffed with his legs shackled while gasping, “It hurts. Stop.” Three years before Breonna Taylor was killed by police in a flawed “no-knock” raid in Louisville, … [Read more...] about Two St. Louis police killings similar to George Floyd and Breonna Taylor deaths
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Missouri media miss story of new police ‘bill of rights’
Missouri Gov. Mike Parson signed a police officer bill of rights into law July 14, even though other states have moved to repeal their law enforcement officer bills of rights as part of a larger effort to hold police officers accountable. Surprisingly, just over a year after the murder of George Floyd, Missouri’s leading media outlets hardly noticed the passage of the bill, … [Read more...] about Missouri media miss story of new police ‘bill of rights’
News outlets need to dig harder in reporting about policing in their communities
The initial press release from the Minnesota Police Department was headlined, “Man Dies After Medical Incident During Police Interaction.” That’s how police first described the death of George Floyd on May 25, 2020, after former police officer Derek Chauvi kneeled on the 46-year-old’s neck and back for more than nine minutes. Chauvin was convicted of murdering Floyd on April … [Read more...] about News outlets need to dig harder in reporting about policing in their communities
Media outlets covering racial unrest in America need to include an examination of their own newsrooms
We are in the midst of a racial reckoning in our country that is more visible in some places than others, but in all places it is long overdue, including in our newsrooms. The mostly peaceful protests that have swept the nation following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis by police feel like a turning point for equality and justice, and we have responsibility to … [Read more...] about Media outlets covering racial unrest in America need to include an examination of their own newsrooms