Let me start off by saying I am not a neo-Nazi, fascist, or white supremacist. Those are just some of the names I have been called over the past few days for my recent coverage of a protest in Olympia, WA. It was advertised as a “rally for America.”
As a proud Asian American journalist who’s faced years of discrimination for my race and ethnicity, this is comical at best. I’ve also been accused of intentionally creating a propaganda video for the organizers of the rally- “Capital City Proud Boys.”
The Southern Poverty Law Center calls the Proud Boys an “extremist hate group, known for anti-Muslim and misogynistic rhetoric.” Some of their members are now facing charges in relation to the January 6. insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. And last year, a Proud Boy was shot by an Antifa protester during a clash near the Capitol Campus in Olympia.
That is exactly why I wanted to be an observer at Saturday’s Proud Boys’ event and started live tweeting. I wasn’t taking sides. I wasn’t saying anything was good or bad. In fact, none of the marchers would talk to me on the record because they “didn’t trust the mainstream media.” So I just started following the march route. Aside from some middle fingers and heckling from those who opposed the rally, the day ended peacefully and without incident.
In a Tweet recapping the day, I decided to create a photo montage with natural sound from the march(in TV news this is what’s called a “NAT Pkg”). One of my videos picked up music blasting from a speaker strapped over the shoulder of one of the protesters. I could not make out the words and had never heard this song in my life. You could also hear car horns and the footsteps of marchers as I weaved in and out of the crowd. I laid some photos over this natural sound from the video and hit send.
Hours later, the critics started pouncing on this final Tweet, accusing me of intentionally creating “white supremacist propaganda.” Several people even claimed I went out of my way to rip this music off a CD and lay it under the photos. That is untrue. I wanted to simply capture a moment in time, with authentic visuals and sounds. It was clearly misinterpreted by some on-line.
I later learned the song is called “We’ll Have Our Home Again,” and is sometimes played at white nationalist rallies. This piece was never meant to air on KOMO News and it never did. I wanted it to be a conversation starter, and it sure did incite an unexpected response. In hindsight, I wish I added more context to this Tweet. But before I could clarify or respond to the criticism, my news director told me to take down all my social media related to the Proud Boys march. I was also told by my boss not to speak to any outside media. The following day, I was fired from KOMO.
I’ve been a journalist now for more than 20 years. If there was a Ku Klux Klan rally and cross burning at Seattle Center in downtown, I would be the first person there to cover the event. My job is to present all sides, not just the one that aligns with my values or worldview.
At KOMO, I spent a lot of time the past two years covering Antifa violence and destruction in the city. According to the ADL, “Antifa’s professed purpose is to vigorously oppose fascism. While some extreme actors who claim to be affiliated with Antifa do engage in violence or vandalism at rallies and events.” But during my time at KOMO, we still covered them even though some of these bad actors espoused hate and followed through with violence and destruction, including flag burnings and Molotov cocktail attacks on the Seattle Police Department’s East Precinct and union headquarters.
I have also been assaulted by alt-left activists who claimed to be part of Antifa. Many adherents openly talk about destabilizing America and bringing a socialist revolution. Some also proudly say they want to kill police. One young man who aligned himself with this ideology was just convicted of smashing an SPD officer in the head with a bat.
So I want to show what’s happening at a Proud Boys rally, which ended up being quiet and peaceful, but critics accuse me of not being more disapproving of this event and also legitimizing hate? I don’t know, but that sure sounds like a double standard to me.
My problem arises when any group or side tries to silence me for simply trying to show what’s happening. At the end of the day, all I can do is shine a light on issues that matter to the community. Fairly and accurately.
As for next steps, I will be staying in the media. I appreciate every message of support. But the past few days have also been an invaluable time of listening and learning from my critics. And I appreciate them as well. In the end, I may have missed the mark with my on-line coverage. But please know, it was never intended to amplify or legitimize any ideology or worldview. If you would like to continue this conversation, please follow me on Twitter @choeshow.
