How The Portland Protest Story Escalated And Why News Consumers Were Frustrated

As federal agents guarding the courthouse from Portland protesters grew more violent throughout July, NPR, and member station Oregon Public Broadcasting, offered extensive coverage, including 40 stories and updates in 70 newscasts.

Many news organizations, including NPR, didn't immediately understand how things were heating up in Portland, but then jumped into covering the story with fervor.

The protracted conflict in Portland was, at its core, a question of whether the U.S. government was overstepping its authority and violating the rights of its own citizens. Journalists don't immediately answer a question like that, they ask it. They act as a warning system, alerting the public to a potential malfunction of government.

Reading letters to the Public Editor from frustrated public radio consumers, it is clear that some listeners believed NPR journalists were biased in their approach to the story.

I disagree. I did not see significant evidence of bias in the coverage. I closely read every critique. I interviewed two NPR senior editors directing the coverage, the executive producer of and the senior news editor at OPB. I listened to or read every story. And I researched other national media. I found a few vague word choices and one mistake that could legitimately