November, 2014

Protestors picketed the St. Louis Post Dispatch building Nov. 3 claiming that the paper was biased against Ferguson protesters. Post Dispatch police reporter, Christine Byers, spoke on the issue.

Byers, a Bradley University graduate, has been targeted online by people claiming she is being biased in her reporting on the Ferguson protests and autopsy of Michael Brown. Brown was shot by police in Ferguson, Miss. in early August sparking protests and riots throughout the area.

Byers’ Twitter account has been dissected and used as fuel to the flame of angry protesters.

“Twitter is not the window to my soul,” Byers stated as she touched on harsh comments she received for statements she has made on the social media site in the past. “It’s like there is an alternate persona of me out there,” she said.

Opposite of popular opinion, Byers said she believes everyone deserves all sides of every story and what she has reported so far is part of the story that needs to be told. “Just because I print the answers to the questions I ask doesn’t mean I believe them,” she said.

Although she puts up a brave façade, she did admit that some of the comments she received over Twitter are worrying. “It’s scary,” she admitted. Offensive and sexist comments are among many that have been sent her way in the past week.

Byers, a former PR worker, deals with police matters and is among the first to report on news released by police officials. In her talk, she noted that the police have accused her of being too liberal. She added that her relationship with the police has changed as some are not as willing to release information to the press.

As the public waits for the indictment in the Michael Brown case, rumors and predictions are being thrown around left and right. Byers believes there will be outrage no matter what.

Even though Byers is receiving discouraging comments over social media, she is still focused on giving the public up-to-date information on the case. “You can’t kill somebody and not tell the public why,” she said.

Despite the accusations against her reports, Byers remains neutral in her reporting on the case and says she plans to continue reporting as usual on this case in order to give the public the best and most accurate information possible.