How journalists should handle racist words, images and violence in Charlottesville

I have covered protests where people shouted angry slogans and waved signs at each other for as long as I had my microphone or camera out, but as soon as I put my gear away both sides went back to standing or marching silently.

This article, written by two journalists with experience covering community conflicts sparked by “alt-right” white nationalist coalitions, says local reporters should inform themselves because there will likely be more incidents similar to Charlottesville. Protestors supply the news media with images and slogans that shock and outrage, which is exactly the kind of publicity these organizations want.

Journalists covering the racial violence in Charlottesville, Virginia face challenges as they choose words, images and sounds. This is not a time to sanitize the cost of hate, and it is not a time to glorify hate groups by giving them the notoriety they seek. —Poynter