âTerrorismâ or âprotestâ â How the US media saw the siege of the Capitol If the unrest after the killing of George Floyd triggered a media reckoning, then the insurrection at the Capitol can help the media understand why framing is important. Danielle K. Kilgo 9 January, 2021 1:59 pm IST Text Size: The chaos at the U.S. Capitol on Wednesday wasnât typical. Nor was the coverage. As a researcher of media and social movements, I was absorbed by the violent events that unfolded. My research on protests shows that how the media portrays unrest â as riot or resistance, for example â helps shape the publicâs view of the protestâs aims. Typically news coverage pays more attention to disruptive tactics than to the aims of protesters, especially when it comes to anti-Black racism protests or action that radically challenges the status quo.