Street Protesters: Who Are They, Really? with Jeremy Lee Quinn

Photojournalist Jeremy Lee Quinn has spent years documenting protests, rallies, and moments of public unrest that often look very different on the ground than they do on the evening news. In this conversation, he talks with Meghan about what really happens when a “mostly peaceful protest” turns chaotic, how viral clips can erase context, and why the incentives of freelance journalism can skew coverage. They also discuss what it takes to build trust with sources across ideological divides, the ethics of filming in volatile environments, and how ordinary viewers can tell when the narrative doesn’t match reality.

Topics include: • The gap between local experience and national headlines • “Mostly peaceful” framing vs. street-level truth • Freelance journalism, safety, and incentives • Crossing lines without becoming the story • Why viral video is a poor substitute for context • What citizens should know about media literacy

About the guest
Jeremy Lee Quinn is a photojournalist and reporter who has covered protests and political unrest since 2020. His forthcoming book is Culture of Confusion. He posts most actively as @JeremyReporter (Instagram, Facebook) and also writes on Substack and X/Twitter.