NBC is prohibiting reporters from using the word “riot” in its coverage of violent outbursts in Minnesota that have occurred in response to the killing of George Floyd.
“While the situation on the ground in Minneapolis is fluid, and there has been violence, it is most accurate at this time to describe what is happening there as ‘protests’–not riots,” NBC host Craig Melvin wrote on Twitter Thursday.
This will guide our reporting in MN. “While the situation on the ground in Minneapolis is fluid, and there has been violence, it is most accurate at this time to describe what is happening there as “protests”–not riots.”
— Craig Melvin (@craigmelvin) May 28, 2020
Floyd died Monday, and a video later surfaced showing police officers pinning him to the ground, with one stepping on his neck. Floyd could be heard pleading with the officers that he couldn’t breathe, and his family has called for murder charges to be filed against them. The officers involved have all been fired from their positions at the Minnesota Police Department, but no charges have been brought as of Thursday afternoon.
Floyd’s death sparked an outpouring of grief, and led to riots and looting in Minneapolis Wednesday night. Rioters set the city ablaze, and several businesses were robbed or burned down, including Wendy’s and Autozone.
A group of armed Minnesotans could be seen standing in front of local stores during the riots, attempting to protect them from looting, while also expressing their outrage over Floyd’s death.
