Twitter Chides Media For Lack Of Coverage Over #NAACPBombing

In the wee hours of Tuesday morning, January 6, of the new year, a bomb, was set off next to the exterior wall of the local offices of the Colorado Springs, Colorado, NAACP headquarters. You're likely to not have heard this news or had your regularly scheduled programming interrupted because the mainstream press failed to report on it when the story broke. According to the FBI and tweeted images from the scene of the crime, a gas can was seen next to the bomb, which intended to make the impact much worse. Luckily, the canister did not catch fire when the improvised explosive device was detonated. A suspect has been listed as a white male, balding, in his 40s, driving a dirty pickup truck. No one was injured and no arrests have been made yet. What's even more infuriating is that the major press is just now reporting on the situation. Places like ABC and CBS are focusing on the foreign gun attack with the satirical magazine, Charlie Hebdo, where 12 people lost their lives. Yet, Americans here and abroad are baffled as to why the press has either ignored or is late in reporting a domestic terrorist attack using a weaponized explosive. With too many questions on the table and not enough answers, this is not the first time the NAACP has been targeted by enemies of civil liberties. Back in 1951, NAACP leaders Harry and Harriet Moore were killed when their Florida home was bombed by attackers on Christmas Day. No suspects were ever considered, convicted, charged, or even arrested for the couple's murder. As noted by Shaun King and the Daily Kos website, the NAACP Legal Defense Fund was in the process of asking Missouri Circuit Court Judge Maura McShane to appoint a special prosecutor in the case against former Ferguson Police officer Darren Wilson. Add to that, the grand juror who is currently suing St. Louis County Prosecutor Bob McCulloch, and you have the makings of quite an exposition. Sad, though, that popular media publications are late to the story or wholly ignoring the event even took place. In an era where racism is flashed along the ticker, the pick-and-choose nature of the media to ignore this act of domestic terrorism should be noted. Everyone from FOX to NBC did not report of the bombing until this very morning. CNN reported on the situation a full 16 hours after it happened, and the incident still has yet to be mentioned on the nightly news broadcast. Twitter, which has defined itself in these moments as the breaking news medium of the 21st Century, has not only documented the tragic event, but has taken the media to task for its lack of coverage. The hashtag #NAACPBombing became the No. 1 trending topic on Twitter by Tuesday night, and at the time of publication, is still the No. 2 trending topic in the United States. Social media users are shocked, angered, and frustrated that they had to learn about such a disturbing incident from Twitter. We captured Twitter's growing frustration that has stemmed from the bombing, the lack of indictments for Eric Garner and Michael Brown, and highlight the social world's belief in the miscarriage of justice in the media. You can see what was said in full on the following pages below. Please speak your own piece in the comments section! A mentally ill man murders NYPD and an entire *non-violent* movement is publicly indicted. #NAACPBombing will be chalked to crazed loner. – Dave Zirin (@EdgeofSports) January 7, 2015 People have been talking about the #NAACPBombing since last night that happened TUESDAY MORNING. Hello? Is this not statement or newsworthy? – Raqiyah Mays (@RaqiyahMays) January 7, 2015 I wake up to #NAACPBombing and #CharlieHebdo massacre, the violence of both betraying the insecurity & weakness of the assailants. – Baratunde (@baratunde) January 7, 2015 many of us are able to be angry at the killings at #CharlieHedbo AND concerned about the bomber on the loose in the #NAACPBombing . Media? – Emperor of Egypt (@Felonious_munk) January 7, 2015 #pleaserespond RT @javeauriel: I'm going to ask again, @washingtonpost. No coverage on the #NAACPBombing? – Steez Austin (@kidnoble) January 7, 2015 It is so alarming that the suspect from #NAACPBombing is still on the loose. A man who detonated a bomb on U.S. soil. And U.S. just shrugs. – Christina Coleman (@ChrissyCole) January 7, 2015 I fear for all the racial profiling the FBI & local authorities will do to 40 y.o., balding white males with pick-up trucks. #NAACPBombing – NestlÃ© Snipes (@ChocnessMonsta) January 7, 2015 An #NAACPBombing happened and people are SILENT. Oh, NOW, it is just one person, so it doesn't matter? But look at the #NYPD Cops. Irony. – PrestonMitchum (@PrestonMitchum) January 7, 2015 And the building was bombed in the morning, when he knew people would be inside. This was an act of domestic terrorism. #NAACPBombing – deray mckesson (@deray) January 7, 2015 If a white organization was bombed, there would be live 24hr coverage right now, with everyone tweeting a Pray4 hashtag. #NAACPBombing – Taurean (@TheBlackVoice) January 7, 2015 Domestic terror that's not labeled as such, nor given attn by MSM outlets doesn't mean it didn't happen or isn't important. #NAACPBombing – Vernon Mitchell, Jr. (@vcmitchelljr) January 7, 2015 wait...there was an #NAACPBombing for real? man...thank god for social media cause i woulda never known otherwise. oh well *shrug*....right? – Questlove Gomez (@questlove) January 7, 2015 The silence on the #NAACPBombing is because it is not viewed as a threat to White America. And it isn't. But #AllLivesMatter though, right? – zellie (@zellieimani) January 7, 2015 #NAACPBombing was an act of terrorism. – Goldie Taylor (@goldietaylor) January 7, 2015 Instead of putting the #NAACPBombing on their front pages: FOX NEWS: "Sasquatch family sighting" a joke CNN: Lotto misprint loses man $500K – JRehling (@JRehling) January 7, 2015 And trust me...EVERY major outlet has had a staffer pitch that #NAACPBombing story. It's not a case of "we didn't know". – Emperor of Egypt (@Felonious_munk) January 7, 2015 Yet again, watching twitter act as a MORE RELIABLE & UP-TO-DATE NEWS SOURCE than folks being paid to run major news networks. #NAACPBombing – Jack. Attack. (@jaykayG) January 7, 2015 Really, REALLY upset about the #NAACPBombing, both that it happened, and that the news about it has been so muted. #BlackLivesMatter! – Sean Jordan (@seanjjordan) January 7, 2015 Dear .@CNN: there was an act of terrorism in Colorado Springs today. May want to cover it? #NAACPBombing – Liberal Librarian (@Lib_Librarian) January 7, 2015 Any of the white dominated media going to blame an entire race for this? #NAACPBombing – No Justice No Peace (@drumbeats4peace) January 7, 2015 Well, I guess that with the #parisattack being the breaking news story, any chance of #NAACPBombing coveragejust got buried. – Sean Tape (@tapedog) January 7, 2015 #NAACPBombing should be stopping every tv show, why isn't it on air – SoulfulEngineer_PVT (@pharoah_kingz) January 7, 2015 When #Ferguson protested, the media were quick to shout rioters. A 40 yr/old white man involved in the #NAACPBombing ? Silence. – Heather (@BellJarQueen) January 7, 2015 As the daughter of an @NAACP leader, this #NAACPBombing scares me. – Nikia Phoenix (@NikiaPhoenix) January 7, 2015 If it wasn't for Twitter i don't think I would know about the #NAACPBombing – Smoke (@SmokeyEllison) January 7, 2015 Wow. 3 articles about the French satirical newspaper bombing in my RSS news feed this AM but 0 on the #NAACPBombing. I need better news. – June Owatari (@Juniejuniejune) January 7, 2015 Weird, Im only now hearing of #NAACPBombing . Cant imagine this being ignored by media . Its almost like it doesnt fit their narrative. – Keith M. (@ksecus) January 7, 2015

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