Black Journalists on Police Violence: Reporting from the Ground Up

The police killing of Tyre Nichols in Memphis generated a significant amount of conversation and coverage, while the killing of environmental activist Manuel Esteban Paez Terán in a Georgia state police raid just weeks later has gotten considerably less attention. This time in our monthly feature, Meet the BIPOC Press, Laura Flanders and Sara Lomax of URL Media talk with two journalists who have been reporting on these stories for local Black-led outlets. Is there anything in their response that might deepen how we think about power and race, racism, police and public safety? Our guests are Gavin Godfrey, Atlanta editor at Capital B, and Report for America corps member Brittany Brown, a reporter at MLK50: Justice Through Journalism where she covers criminal justice and labor in Memphis.

“. . . We saw national media parachute into Memphis really covering the flashpoint moment that this was for the city . . . At MLK50, we're really focused on highlighting the continuing efforts that are going on every week.” - Brittany Brown

“I think what separates our coverage from local coverage in the city is that we are trying to find out how this affects the people that are the most affected. Most of [the] local news is talking to officials, law enforcement officials, and then getting a couple of quotes and clips from protestors without a lot of context.” - Gavin Godfrey

“Our communities need to have outlets . . . that are coming from the ground up and from our people. I'm really grateful that there is a new wave of Black media outlets that are doing the work in Atlanta, in Memphis, in Philadelphia, all over the country . . .” - Sara Lomax

Guests:

Brittany Brown: Criminal Justice & Labor Reporter, MLK50: Justice Through Journalism

Gavin Godfrey: Atlanta Editor, Capital B

Sara Lomax: Co-Founder, URL Media; President & CEO, WURD Radio

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Chapters:

(0:00:00) - Covering Police Killings in the US

(0:09:51) - Self-Care in Trauma Reporting

(0:20:52) - The Legacy of Systemic Police Violence

Chapter Summaries:

(0:00:00) - Covering Police Killings in the US (10 Minutes)

This episode of Meet The BiPOC Press with URL media focuses on two events that occurred weeks apart in different parts of the US and how they connect. The first is the police killing of Tyre Nichols in Memphis after a traffic stop, and the second is the killing of queer environmental activist Manuel Esteban Paez Terán in Atlanta during a police raid. The conversation covers the quantity of coverage these stories have received, the proposed ninety million dollar police training complex in the Walloni forest, the response of the public and the ongoing efforts of activists and community organizers.

(0:09:51) - Self-Care in Trauma Reporting (11 Minutes)

This episode of the Laura Flanders show focuses on the two recent police-involved killings of Tyre Nichols in Memphis and Manuel Esteban Paez Terán in Atlanta. The conversation addresses the calls for more training and how the proposed police training center in Atlanta has sparked fear in the predominantly black community. The roundtable also discusses the power dynamics of police brutality when officers are black as well as the importance of trauma-informed reporting and setting boundaries for self-care.

(0:20:52) - The Legacy of Systemic Police Violence (9 Minutes)

This discussion focused on the events in Memphis over the past year, including the election of the first Democratic District Attorney in decades and the swift response to the misconduct of police officers. Questions were raised about the role of democracy and consent in this response, in addition to the issue of public safety. The conversation then shifted to the survey conducted by the mayor on the proposed COPC City training center, in which 69% of the population were against it. The participants discussed the need to ask better questions, and to listen to the people in order to facilitate a dialogue towards a solution.

Laura Flanders and Friends Crew:  Laura Flanders-Executive Producer, Writer;  Sabrina Artel-Supervising Producer; Jeremiah Cothren-Senior Producer; Veronica Delgado-Video Editor, Janet Hernandez-Communications Director; Jeannie Hopper-Audio Director, Podcast & Radio Producer, Audio Editor, Sound Design, Narrator; Sarah Miller-Development Director, Nat Needham-Editor, Graphic Design emeritus; David Neuman-Senior Video Editor, and Rory O’Conner-Senior Consulting Producer.

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