My hopes for a media postmortem after the election concluded appear to have been (mostly) dashed. For the third day in a row now I’ve woken up and turned on the news only to see CNN and MSNBC talking heads speaking in earnest tones about the “protests” taking place in response to Tuesday’s victory of President Elect Trump. There are always a few exceptions, but most of the coverage I’m seeing once again takes the same tone we’ve grown used to during the Black Lives Matter riots in Ferguson, Baltimore, New York, Chicago and beyond. The words stand in stark contrast to the scenes playing out on the screen as roadways are blocked, bottles are hurled, fires break out and “peaceful protesters” smash up police vehicles. And in Portland last night, somebody was actually shot. (Fox News)

A man suffered non-life-threatening injuries in Portland, Ore. early Saturday when he was shot while taking part in a protest against President-elect Donald Trump. The shooting took place at around 1 a.m. local time as protesters were walking across the Morrison Bridge toward downtown Portland.

There are exceptions to the awkward newspaper coverage which might give us hope. One example comes from a most unexpected source… the Washington Post. They describe last night’s activities using a word which is rarely seen in print these days. Pay close attention to this passage. (Emphasis added.)

Hundreds of people protesting the election of Donald Trump took to the streets in cities across the country for a third straight night on Friday, as police bolstered their forces in the wake of rioting in Portland, Ore., and Los Angeles. More than 225 people have been arrested across various cities — at least 185 in Los Angeles alone, the Associated Press reported — amid demonstrations that have included highway blockades, angry chants of “not my president” and a rampage through Portland. Police in New York on Friday erected barricades and placed sand-filled trucks in front of Trump Tower. Protesters illuminated by the flashing red and blue of police car lights chanted, “Hey, hey, ho, ho, Donald Trump has got to go.”

They go on to actually cover what was happening in various cities with particular emphasis on Portland, which seems to be the epicenter of the most violent, riotous activity thus far.

The group that formed around 5 p.m. splintered, spreading around the city. Police in riot gear stood firm across one downtown street until after 8 p.m. when protesters threw glass bottles at the police. By 10 p.m., the police had deployed tear gas, flash grenades and rubber bullets, warning protesters that they would be arrested if they remained on scene. An hour later, hundreds of people were still gathered downtown, with police closing in from the east and west to send a clear message: leave or be arrested.

They even helpfully provide this short video of what is clearly a riot in Portland.

So congratulations to the Washington Post for this refreshing reversal of what seemed to be their previous policy. As for the rest of the papers and most cable news outlets, there still seems to be work remaining on the education front. I understand that a lot of people at televison news desks and in newspaper editorial board meetings have trouble grasping this concept, so perhaps we can help with a visual presentation. Let’s all take a look at these images and repeat after me. (Click on images for full size photos.)

This is a riot.

This is a protest.

This is a riot.

This is a protest.

Hello? Is any of this sinking in? It’s really not all that difficult to grasp.