Far-left media outlets already had decided to protect rioters who have destroyed hundreds, probably thousands, of businesses across American cities during the violence of 2020.
CNN decided that rioting in Kenosha, Wisconsin, was "fiery but mostly peaceful" with an on-air graphic in front of burning businesses.
This is what a Biden Presidency will bring to your city.
Hats off to CNN for having the stamina to continue to carry water for democrats.
“Fiery but mostly peaceful protests” pic.twitter.com/hlnVX0dCZ9
— Senator Melissa Melendez (@senatormelendez) August 27, 2020
In response, Daily Caller investigative editor Peter J. Hasson deadpanned: "reporting to you live from Pearl Harbor, where America suffered a mostly peaceful surprise attack by the Japanese empire."
Steve Guest recalled MSNBC's Ali Velshi in May reporting from in front of a burning building in Minneapolis.
"I want to be clear on how I characterize this. This is mostly a protest. It is not generally speaking unruly but fires have been started," he said.
MSNBC's Ali Velshi now has competition for the most ridiculous riot "reporting."
Back in May, Velshi said, "I want to be clear on how I characterize this. This is mostly a protest. It is not generally speaking unruly but fires have been started."pic.twitter.com/6K72kHHno1
— Steve Guest (@SteveGuest) August 27, 2020
Now AP has fallen into line behind the earlier decisions to call America's riots, well, something else.
The news agency issued a series of social media statements advising that reporters should use care in using the "term riot."
New guidance on AP Stylebook Online:
Use care in deciding which term best applies:
A riot is a wild or violent disturbance of the peace involving a group of people. The term riot suggests uncontrolled chaos and pandemonium. (1/5)— APStylebook (@APStylebook) September 30, 2020
Other AP statements added: "Focusing on rioting and property destruction rather than underlying grievance has been used in the past to stigmatize broad swaths of people protesting against lynching, police brutality or for racial justice, going back to the urban uprisings of the 2960s.
"Unrest is a vaguer, milder and less emotional term for a condition of angry discontent and protest verging on revolt.
"Protest and demonstration refer to specific actions such as marches, sit-ins, rallies or other actions meant to register dissent. They can be legal or illegal, organized or spontaneous, peaceful or violent, and involve any number of people.
"Revolt and uprising both suggest a broader political dimension or civil upheavals, a sustained period of protests or unrest against powerful groups or government systems."
The American Thinker pointed out the influence the AP stylebook has on how news is presented.
"But now that the AP has become weaponized as a tool of the progressive movement, it is also a reliable guide to political correctness. Discarding 'illegal immigrant' in favor of 'undocumented immigrant,' for instance."
It also noted that AP abruptly, earlier this year, condemned the word "mistress."
The AT noted, "Professor Margot Cleveland quickly and brilliantly figured out why this change was announced now: 'So apparently AP thinks @SenKamalaHarris will be Biden's pick and they're making sure everyone know proper language to use in discussing her political rise to power."
Of the newest advice on riots, TownHall reported, "Mobs of violent left-wing kooks have been roaming the streets of American cities for months terrorizing residents, murdering Trump supporters, beating people to a pulp, shooting police officers, and assaulting people in their vehicles. But you wouldn't know any of this if you consumed news exclusively from the mainstream media because the mainstream media doesn't want you to know about it."
Regarding its "riot" instructions, Townhall explained, "To the AP, it's not the job of journalists to report the news. It's the job of journalists to advance a left-wing narrative."
The Blaze noted that using "unrest" instead of "riot" is a good way to "avoid stigmatizing protesters."
The stylebook previously has instructed reporters to "call out racism" by judging actions and events for themselves, and then labeling such racism if that's what they think it is.
""Do not use racially charged or similar terms as euphemisms for racist or racism when the latter terms are truly applicable," the news wire said. "If racist is not the appropriate term, give careful thought to how best to describe the situation. Alternatives include racially divisive, racially sensitive, or in some cases, simply racial."
In 2013, the organization pleased Muslim activists by banning "Islamist" as a synonym for "fighters" or "militants."
When AP frowned on "illegal immigrants," then-"Tonight" show host Jay Leno joked that it was being replaced with "undocumented Democrat."
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