Trump Car Caravan Down the Media Memory Hole

I may be missing something, but it appears that the only Rhode Island news organization to cover an event with a long line of cars supporting President Trump, patriotism, and the police that drove from Smithfield to Newport on Sunday was the Providence Journal.

Even there, though, reporter Brian Amaral devoted almost half of his article to a single counter-protester holding a Black Lives Matter sign.  Amaral makes sure to mention that while he was speaking with they guy, a well-meaning stranger came up to offer him encouragement.

The only car-counts I’ve found reported for the pro-Trump event were on Twitter.  One comes from local education writer Ted Dintersmith, who put the number at “over 100 trucks, motorcycles, and cars,” which he presented as if they had organized for the purpose of disrupting a high-school BLM rally and to “intimidate kids.”

The other was from Valley Breeze editor Ethan Shorey.  After somebody questioned why he posted a photo of a single truck (which he subsequently deleted) with the text, “A Trump parade passes by in Smithfield,” Shorey estimated “about 20 cars.”

Once again, we see the narrative in action.  Whatever the makeup of the population may be — and Shorey notes that President Trump won Smithfield 50-42 in 2016 — the news is clearly presented by liberals, progressives, and Democrats for liberals, progressives, and Democrats.  Things that audience doesn’t like to see will probably not be shown, and when shown, they’ll be minimized or placed in context as strange events set apart from ordinary Rhode Islanders.

Thus, we get perspectives like Dintersmith’s, wherein anything done by conservatives is not only put in context of its effects on the feelings of progressives, but imputed to be deliberately provocative to intimidate them.

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in The Ocean State Current, including text, graphics, images, and information are solely those of the authors. They do not purport to reflect the views and opinions of The Current, the RI Center for Freedom & Prosperity, or its members or staff. The Current cannot be held responsible for information posted or provided by third-party sources. Readers are encouraged to fact check any information on this web site with other sources.

YOUR CART
  • No products in the cart.
0