Graham: Left-wing journalists big on ‘ICE resistance’
In the wake of the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot, national media outlets were quick to spotlight the actions of Trump supporters, particularly those who showed contempt for law enforcement and the rule of law. Groups like the “Sedition Hunters” gained prominence as they assisted the Biden administration’s Justice Department in prosecuting individuals involved in the Capitol insurrection. However, the narrative appears to have shifted dramatically with the change in political power. Critics argue that the same media outlets, including National Public Radio (NPR), now seem to favor actions that could be deemed seditious, particularly in the context of immigration enforcement. NPR’s coverage, spearheaded by Odette Yousef, has raised eyebrows as it appears to romanticize leftist activism against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), while neglecting to label these groups as extremist.
In a series of reports, Yousef highlighted the activities of groups like Protect Rogers Park, which aims to disrupt ICE operations under the guise of community defense. The coverage frames these activists as noble defenders of civil rights, with Yousef labeling them as part of a “community defense network” rather than acknowledging their leftist affiliations. This portrayal contrasts sharply with how similar actions by right-wing groups are reported. For instance, activists blocking access to abortion clinics might be characterized as obstructing legal processes, yet the same lens is not applied to those opposing immigration enforcement. Yousef’s narrative positions the activists as courageous guardians of vulnerable populations, while the opposition is framed as authoritarian and oppressive, creating a double standard in media portrayal.
This apparent bias has led to significant discontent among conservative taxpayers, who feel that NPR’s coverage lacks balance and fails to consider all viewpoints. Tim Graham, director of media analysis at the Media Research Center, points out that the selective reporting and the framing of leftist activism as heroic stands in stark contrast to how right-wing activism is perceived. This ongoing debate raises critical questions about media integrity, the role of journalism in shaping public perception, and the implications of biased reporting on national discourse surrounding law enforcement and immigration policy. As the media landscape continues to evolve, the challenge remains for outlets like NPR to maintain a commitment to impartiality and comprehensive reporting that truly considers all sides of the story.
After some Trump supporters rioted at the Capitol in 2021, the national media aggressively reported on people who showed disrespect for the Capitol Police and for the rule of law itself. They touted groups like “Sedition Hunters” who aided Biden’s Justice Department in prosecuting Trump backers inside the Capitol, the violent and the nonviolent.
But now, with the parties in power switched, suddenly it’s the media who favor “sedition,” in disrespecting law enforcement and the rule of law itself, especially on mass deportation. Exhibit A is National “Public” Radio and Odette Yousef, NPR’s so-called “Domestic Extremism Correspondent.”
In January 2022, Yousef touted the “Sedition Hunters” for seven minutes, never once classifying them as on the Left. They were “independent researchers” and “online sleuths.”
These days, it’s somehow not “domestic extremism” when radical leftists seek to undermine attempts to enforce immigration laws and capture illegal immigrants, both the violent and the nonviolent. Instead, Yousef and NPR championed the “ICE Resistance” in two days of reports lasting 15 minutes on the badly named show “All Things Considered.”
Yousef chronicled a group called Protect Rogers Park, a “community defense network,” and went riding around with “community organizer” Gabe Gonzalez. They banded together against “an expected onslaught of federal immigration enforcement.” Their goal? “To make the work of immigration enforcement as inefficient as possible.” No one was identified as the Left.
NPR also interviewed activist Jill Garvey and described her take: Their project is opposing “an authoritarian strategy that, unchecked, could ultimately eat away at the freedom and rights of everyone in this country.” Garvey claimed Trump is forming a “national police force” to “occupy” and “terrorize” cities. None of this is pernicious conspiracy theorizing or “domestic extremism.”
On the night of Nov. 20, Yousef leaked out one label about Protect Rogers Park: “It’s known for its international diversity and as kind of a hotbed for lefty activism.” Yousef said the group’s goal was “getting people to the scene of an ICE arrest to make it annoying — you know, loud, slow, and ultimately expensive.”
In this second report, Gonzalez claimed ICE’s goal is “kidnapping people.” Yousef allowed a brief rebuttal from the Department of Homeland Security: “Illegal aliens are not kidnapped. They are arrested for breaking the law.”
NPR wrapped up with Garvey touting their work to “protect vulnerable people” with “a little bit of contagious courage.”
This is not how NPR would describe right-wingers blocking an entrance to an abortion clinic. You could describe that activism as “protecting vulnerable people” with “contagious courage.” It’s designed to be loud and make abortion clinics “as inefficient as possible.” But that’s not heroic at NPR. Performing the abortions is heroic.
This is why conservative taxpayers are happy that NPR was defunded. They’ve never “considered all things.”
Tim Graham is director of media analysis at the Media Research Center and executive editor of the blog NewsBusters.org.
