On Tuesday morning, CNN’s New Day went where few networks would and interviewed conservative journalist Andy Ngo, an editor for Quillette, after his barbaric assault at the hands of the “anti-fascist” fascists known as Antifa. Ngo, recently released from the hospital after suffering a brain hemorrhage, was slurring his words and was clearly shaken up. New Day dedicated 5 minutes and thirty five seconds to the interview.
As Curtis Houck originally reported, the liberal media had been largely been unwilling to cover the attack on a fellow journalist. New Day co-host John Berman allowed Ngo to recount the story of the brutal attack. Berman made it clear that while far-right protestors were also present when Ngo was assaulted, it was Antifa who were responsible for the beating:
BERMAN: You were out there covering this. Again, it was – there were some kind of Proud Boys, and they’re sort of white nationalists, and there was the Antifa counter protesting against them. It was the Antifa protesters, whom you've had issues with before, they're the ones who came after you, you say?
NGO: Yes, they're the ones who came after me. I think this country, rightfully, is very tuned to knowing and sensing when the right goes too far. It was only just days ago that James Fields was sentenced for his murder of Heather Heyer. I wonder if the rest -- if this country, though, is also attuned too when the left can go too far in the city of Portland. It's become a hotbed for far left militancy. And it's always been my goal to just go in and document these protests in a professional manner. And for that I was deemed to be a provocateur and deserving of the mob beating.
Berman also gave Ngo a chance to respond to a statement made by Brian Levin, a professor at California State University, in which he claims that “makes the most out of his conflicts”:
Let me read you something Professor Brian Levin said. I read this in the paper today, and he knows of you and he’s been covering Antifa for some time. He says of you, he, Andy Ngo, is a political pundit who certainly makes the most of his conflicts which sometimes turn violent on him. But to his credit, I've never seen him be the physical aggressor in the posts that he's made generally. Do you think that's an accurate description from the professor of what you do and how you cover Antifa?
The New Day host did, however, leave one small, but important detail out of his report on the situation. Berman did mention that milkshakes were thrown at Ngo, but he left out that the milkshakes were filled with quick-drying cement. When condemning violence against journalists, he did fail to call out Antifa by name.
The only substantial piece of bias in the report was regarding the chyron, as previously reported by Kristine Marsh. The chyron read “Conservative Journalist Assaulted Said Antifa Behind Attack.” The video very clearly depicts that it is indeed Antifa behind the attack, so the “says” distinction is largely dumbfounding.
Berman did a serviceable job at covering the situation where others have been completely absent, but Ngo’s assault begs the question: if he were a liberal, how much coverage would be dedicated to telling his story? Smollett’s alleged attack was given weeks of coverage, while the one on Ngo has barely registered.
It seems that we’re applauding CNN for doing the bare minimum.
Here is the complete transcript from the segment:
CNN's New Day
07/02/2019
7:54 a.m. Eastern
JOHN BERMAN: All right, this morning. This morning there are serious questions about security in Portland after a journalist was attacked there while documenting violent protests between anti-fascists protesters and members of several far right groups. Joining me now is Andy Ngo. You saw him there in the video. He suffered serious injuries at the hands of some Antifa protesters. Andy, just tell me what happened.
ANDY NGO: I, as a journalist, was covering a protest organized by Antifa activists, and the event was billed as resisting fascist violence, but as a journalist of color and a gay man I ended up in the hospital covering that event with a brain hemorrhage.
BERMAN: A brain hemorrhage. How are you doing this morning? What are your injuries?
NGO: I -- I'm glad to be out of the hospital. I'm surprised at various times. I'm having these cognitive hiccups that weren't really apparent to me from just laying in a bed in a hospital. But now that I'm trying to return to more normal activities they're becoming more apparent.
BERMAN: You were out there covering this. Again, it was – there were some kind of Proud Boys, and they’re sort of white nationalists, and there was the Antifa counter protesting against them. It was the Antifa protesters, whom you've had issues with before, they're the ones who came after you, you say?
NGO: Yes, they're the ones who came after me. I think this country, rightfully, is very tuned to knowing and sensing when the right goes too far. It was only just days ago that James Fields was sentenced for his murder of Heather Heyer. I wonder if the rest -- if this country, though, is also attuned too when the left can go too far in the city of Portland. It's become a hotbed for far left militancy. And it's always been my goal to just go in and document these protests in a professional manner. And for that I was deemed to be a provocateur and deserving of the mob beating.
BERMAN: Let me read you something Professor Brian Levin said. I read this in the paper today, and he knows of you and he’s been covering Antifa for some time. He says of you, he, Andy Ngo, is a political pundit who certainly makes the most of his conflicts which sometimes turn violent on him. But to his credit, I've never seen him be the physical aggressor in the posts that he's made generally. Do you think that's an accurate description from the professor of what you do and how you cover Antifa?
NGO: When I'm covering Antifa I'm just showing what happens. And I appreciate that Professor Levin is honest in pointing out I'm never the one to be aggressive and to promote physical confrontation. There's a disinformation campaign going on by Antifa and their allies that I came there to provoke a response. If anybody has evidence I acted unprofessionally, I ask you make that public for the record.
BERMAN: Who do you blame? Obviously those people attacked you, those demonstrators hitting you and in some cases spraying things on you. I think there were milkshakes being thrown. They’re to blame, but who else do you blame for this?
NGO: What was surreal, as I was getting beat, is that I could actually still see the Multnomah County Justice Center, and that houses some of the most important institutions of law in Portland. It has the sheriff's office, it has the central police precinct, it has courthouses. And I just kept thinking at any moment after the first punch to the back of my head that police were going to swoop in and save me, but it never happened. The punches kept coming, and as I stumbled away on my own and bloodied I thought at any point the police would come to me then and that didn't happen either.
BERMAN: Let me just read you one of the tweets from the Portland mayor, Ted Wheeler. We stand against all forms of violence - regardless of someone’s political leanings. Portland police officers have had the unenviable tax of keeping the peace. It's a difficult job and hard decisions are made in real-time. While we continue to learn more about what transpired over the weekend, we will keep you informed. We will do everything we can to make sure those who committed violence are held accountable. Your reaction to the mayor.
NGO: How many more people have to be beaten and attacked in the city of Portland before things change? I am by far not the first one. There's been many other incidents that have happened since 2016, and the policing has remained the same, which is a policy of not engaging with militant protesters.
BERMAN: Violence against journalists of any kind is something we all need to fight against. Andy Ngo, thank you for being with us this morning. I appreciate it.
NGO: My pleasure.
