During the protests in the 1960′s it was a common occurrence: Kids would be basically sitting around doing nothing until the news media arrived. Then all hell would break loose with protests—until the media departed.

It is the same basic scenario that seems to be playing out in Ferguson, MO, where a police officer shot an unarmed assailant a week ago. Journalists are arriving from all kinds of media outlets around the world and becoming an integral part of the story.

When TV cameras go live you can see protesters immediately get involved to get into the picture. There is no shortage of people willing to go on camera and give their views on the situation despite having little or no knowledge of what actually transpired.

It now seems as if the media and protesters have a weird kind of symbiotic relationship where they are feeding off each other. The rioters want to continue to loot and steal, and the media desperately wants to continue reporting on it.

Why? Well CNN and Fox News are enjoying a ratings bonanza as the riots continue. And the higher the ratings, the more money they can make by increasing ad rates. It simply is not in their best interests for the story to die.

The prestigious “Editor and Publisher” is breathlessly reporting that police are “arresting and threatening more journalists.”

“The arrest late Sunday night of three reporters — Robert Klemko of Sports Illustrated, Chicago-based Financial Times reporter Neil Munshi and Rob Crilly, a foreign correspondent for the Telegraph (and no stranger to war zones) — reportedly came as the journalists attempted to gather more information while police faced off with protesters,” noted E & P quoting a story in the Washington Post (Link).

The first question that might come to mind to the average reader is: “What in the hell are reporters from Sports Illustrated and the Financial Times doing in Ferguson covering the story?” Is this a sports or financial story?

You could also ask, “The Telegraph really sent a foreign correspondent to cover this?”

Ironically, the person who ordered the journalists’ arrest was Missouri Highway Patrol Captain Ron Johnson. Johnson, an African-American, was originally hailed as a media darling when he took over in Ferguson and was seen proudly marching alongside the protesters. He freely gave media interviews and seemed to enjoy the exposure.

Johnson even allowed looters to take over certain areas without retribution (LINK) as store owners watched helplessly without police protection.

However, that media lovefest soon faded and now the Missouri National Guard has been called in to keep order. The news media seems to have fallen out of love with Johnson since he has been forced to deal with increased violence and do his job.

“Threats, tear gas and even arrest have become occupational hazards for reporters in Ferguson,” noted the Washington Post story. “Some journalists have been seen wearing bulletproof vests and gas masks, as the risk of injury by real bullets, rubber bullets and tear gas is high.”

It seems as if reporters are going out of their way to become part of the story and not simply journalists. Is there really a need for them to dress up for combat to be in the middle of the protesters?

Exactly how are police supposed to identify journalists vs. criminals throwing molotov cocktails at night in smoke? A press pass? The police try to get rioters to retreat, but then journalists come out of the crowd demanding special treatment.

It now seems as if this event has really become far bigger based on the actions of journalists who genuinely seem to want the story to continue. One has to ask if the escalation of rioting would have stopped if the journalists were no longer there. Of course, it doesn’t help to have Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson vying for media exposure and money.

One TV station actually showed video of the police officer’s home who was involved in the shooting!

Was St. Louis TV station KSDK hoping this action might encourage rioters to burn the officer’s home down or possibly lynch he and his family on live TV? That had to be part of the thinking. The station later apologized for its action, but clearly the damage had been done and the officer and his family had clearly been put in peril.

Other media outlets have been just as irresponsible in reporting on the police officer and his home (LINK). Journalist Howard Kurtz says (below) some media outlets such as the Huffington Post are creating “a lynch mob mentality” in Ferguson.

A journalist quoted in Editor & Publisher says, “The distinction between reporter and subject has begun to blur” in Ferguson reporting.

Journalists are no longer reporting the problems in Ferguson. They are the problem.