How the media has covered the unrest in Ferguson

Guests: Paul Farhi, James Peterson and Byron Tau

National media converged on Ferguson, Missouri, last week to cover the unrest following the police shooting of Michael Brown. But before they arrived, twitter reports and Instagram videos provided real-time coverage of the unfolding violence with graphic and disturbing images. Cable news channels have been reporting from Ferguson round-the-clock. In the meantime, journalists have been harassed and several have been arrested raising serious questions about freedom of the press. Has the media – broadcast, print and digital – effectively and responsibly informed the public about the events in Ferguson and the important issues they raise? How has social media changed the way we hear about news? Joining us to talk about all of this is PAUL FARHI, media reporter for The Washington Post, JAMES PETERSON, director of Africana Studies at Lehigh University and BYRON TAU who has been covering the situation in Ferguson for Politico.