On the Media: "Videos of ICE Violence Are Plentiful. Accountability… Not So Much."

Release Date: January 31, 2026
Hosts: Brooke Gladstone & Michael Ohinger
Guests: Brandi Zadrozny (MS Now), Radley Balko (The Watch), Elliot Higgins (Bellingcat)

Episode Overview

This episode of On the Media explores the power of video footage in challenging official narratives about violent actions by ICE agents in Minneapolis—most notably, the killing of Alex Preddy. The hosts investigate the clash between citizen documentation and federal spin, the strategies of right-wing media and agitators, historical parallels with the Boston Massacre, and the persistent crisis of accountability and trust in democratic institutions. The episode features in-depth analysis of media manipulation, disinformation, and how real-time evidence undermines attempts at narrative control.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Killing of Alex Preddy and the Media Battle (01:28–10:53)

• Event Recap:
  ICE agents fatally shot Alex Preddy, a U.S. veteran and ICU nurse, in Minneapolis—the second such incident in the city. Initial official statements labeled Preddy a "domestic terrorist" (01:40).

• Eyewitness Contradictions:
  Video evidence from bystanders contradicted the official account, showing Preddy was shot from behind without posing a direct threat (02:06–02:21).

• Administration's Response:
  DHS altered its stance slightly, placing involved border agents on administrative leave and demoting a local commander (02:27–02:40).

• Rise of Right-Wing Agitators & Media:
  Content creators like Cam Higbee stoked online outrage, infiltrated digital spaces, and spread misleading narratives, labeling peaceful organizers as "domestic terrorists" (03:16–04:19).

  “I have infiltrated organizational signal groups… to track down federal agents and impeding, assaulting, and obstructing them. Buckle up, all will be revealed.”
  — Cam Higbee, right-wing content creator (03:16)

• Right-Wing Officials & Pressure:
  FBI Director Kash Patel and AG Pam Bondi launched aggressive investigations into protest organizers at the behest of Trump administration (04:19–05:41). Despite the push, the administration faced public skepticism because of lack of evidence.

• Manipulating Narratives:
  Right-wing influencers exaggerated trivial details—e.g., Mike Cernovich calling protest whistles “violent weapons” (06:40–07:24).

• Spread of Disinformation:
  Influencers staged altercations or framed themselves as victims, but pervasive citizen documentation made it hard for these narratives to gain traction (08:02–08:58).

  “It’s lost a little bit of the sauce, I think.”
  — Brandi Zadrozny, on the weakening impact of right-wing narratives (08:58)

2. The Narrative War & The Limits of Official Spin (08:58–16:09)

• Competing Realities Online:
  Wide circulation of videos showing ICE violence made it difficult for the administration’s version to stick.

• Agitators as Political Operatives:
  Many so-called "journalists" fueling the counter-narrative were paid by political organizations and had direct lines to officials like Pam Bondi (10:15–10:53).

• Failed Narrative Tactics:
  Stunt reporter James O’Keefe’s “undercover” effort failed to surface substantial evidence and instead showcased attempts to incite drama (10:53–12:52).

  “These people will kill you. I’ve never quite experienced, like, I guess… I’d call it communism up close.”
  — James O’Keefe, recounting a protest confrontation (11:07)

• Leaked Prior Confrontations:
  Video emerged of Preddy kicking a police car weeks earlier—used to justify his killing by the right, but not persuasive to the wider public (12:52–14:33).

  “They say, see, he was a domestic terrorist. And therefore… he deserved what he got.”
  — Brandi Zadrozny on right-wing framing (14:27)

• Declining Approval for ICE:
  Public opinion on ICE and Trump's immigration policies has dropped amid these controversies (14:33–15:02).

• Power of Documentation:
  Grassroots video collection and "observation patrols" were instrumental in shifting the narrative and galvanizing support for the protesters (15:02–15:31).

• Lessons from Minneapolis:
  Organizing traditions and memories of George Floyd’s murder made the city uniquely resistant to federal misinformation (15:31–16:09).

3. Historical Parallels: Boston Massacre & Occupied Cities (19:48–33:15)

• Modern Siege Compared to Colonial Boston:
  Jamelle Bouie, Ken Burns, and Radley Balko draw lines between Minneapolis now and Boston during British military occupation (19:51–21:21).

• Comparing Narratives:
  18th-century media like "Journal of the Times" acted much like today’s social media—biased, gossipy, but vital for citizen awareness (21:40–22:09).

• Parallels in Abuse & Resistance:
  The urge to suppress dissent and frame protesters as “insurgents” echoes British tactics—today’s protesters likened to patriots like Patrick Henry (25:19–26:29).

  “I don’t think it’s unfair to question whether they would be calling Patrick Henry or Sam Adams domestic terrorists if they had been alive at the time.”
  — Radley Balko (25:56)

• Competing 1770 Narratives:
  The British called Boston the “Incident on King Street,” colonists branded it a massacre—with propaganda, not unlike today’s viral videos and memes (27:39–28:18).

• Due Process Then vs. Now:
  John Adams defending British troops stands in stark contrast to contemporary cases where DOJ refuses to investigate ICE shootings (28:18–30:31).

• Cyclical Nature of American “Untruths”:
  Balko cautions about American myths—immigrant nation versus history of anti-immigrant violence; democratic ideals versus “military exhibitions” in the streets (30:53–31:49).

4. The Challenge of Disinformation and Democratic Collapse (34:59–53:16)

• Official Lies vs. Shared Realities:
  Federal attempts to reframe the shootings in Minneapolis are failing because citizen videos contradict them (34:59–35:38).

• “Epistemic Collapse” Diagnosed:
  Elliot Higgins (Bellingcat) contends that the problem is deeper than disinfo; it's a loss of functional verification, deliberation, and accountability—pillars essential for democracy (35:46–37:04).

  • Verification: Shared understanding of reality is breaking down.
  • Deliberation: Debate has become performance, not substance.
  • Accountability: Consequences for the powerful are largely performative.

• Performance over Substance:
  Politicians and influencers manufacture “evidence” to reinforce group identity, not to seek truth (38:37–39:14).

• Algorithmic Incentives:
  Online platforms foster conspiratorial populism, undermining slower, traditional forms of fact-checking and deliberation (39:28–40:08).

• Kabuki Accountability:
  Investigations like the one into Alex Preddy’s murder are often staged, with evidence limited, blame shifting, and real accountability avoided (41:09–42:57).

• Disordered Doubt:
  Four pillars: Doubt the evidence, doubt the source, doubt the process, doubt the claim—fuel perpetual skepticism and nihilism (43:19–44:51).

  “It’s a self-sustaining system of doubt.”
  — Elliot Higgins (44:57)

• Online Counterpublics:
  Protest movements once fostered positive institutional change, but digital “counterpublics” frequently devolve into conspiracy-driven echo chambers, enabling authoritarian shifts when co-opted by populists (45:41–47:15).

• The Speed Differential:
  Good information lags behind bad; to counter this, rapid, grassroots verification and dissemination are essential (47:15–49:45).

  “When institutions come along with their lies, the public have already seen for themselves the truth.”
  — Elliot Higgins (48:05)

• Building New Infrastructure:
  Higgins advocates for citizen training and community-based open source investigation—empowering the public to own the verification process (49:45–51:13).

• Education as a Long-Term Solution:
  Adapting education for new realities is crucial, though it may take a generation; re-earning trust in institutions while shifting some power to the public is necessary (52:05–53:16).

• Big Ideas vs. Authoritarianism:
  Only a massive, systemic response—not tweaks or quick fixes—can save democracy from epistemic rot (52:27–53:16).

Notable Quotes with Timestamps

• On weaponizing right-wing narratives:
  “Whistles are now weapons. For example, let’s just talk about one of the videos Cam Higbee posted where he was in a car with another creator and people were banging on the windows…"
  — Brandi Zadrozny (07:24)

• On grassroots video power:
  “That is all very important… these videos and these claims being used to say, these are terrorists. People on the streets of Minneapolis are literally being terrorized. And those videos… are circulating so widely that I think it’s very, very hard for the far right to find a foothold this time.”
  — Brandi Zadrozny (08:52)

• On modern vs. colonial government abuse:
  “You read through these accounts of these daily interactions, squabbles, confrontations between soldiers and colonists. It kind of reads like an old-timey social media feed.”
  — Radley Balko (21:40)

• On performative accountability:
  “It’s really about punishing people who don’t really matter that can be easily replaced. So there’s a performance to the public, oh, we’ve done something about this. But the underlying conditions still exist. They're just moving the pieces around the board.”
  — Elliot Higgins (41:35)

• On the challenge of truth:
  “When institutions come along with their lies, the public have already seen for themselves the truth.”
  — Elliot Higgins (48:05)

• On systemic solutions:
  “Maybe we need a big idea to counteract that. Otherwise we’ll see a lot more of it.”
  — Elliot Higgins (53:11)

Timestamps for Important Segments

• ICE Killing and Narrative Reversal: 01:28–04:16
• Right-wing Content Creators in Minneapolis: 03:16–04:19
• Competing Narratives and the Power of Tape: 08:58–10:53
• Discrediting Protest Videos: 12:52–14:33
• Boston Massacre Parallel: 19:48–30:31
• Media & Disinformation Breakdown: 34:59–49:45
• Solutions and New Verification Models: 49:45–53:16

Conclusion

The episode offers a sweeping critique of both the current media landscape and the erosion of trust in American democracy. It underscores the critical role of citizen documentation in fighting misinformation, highlights how history echoes in the present, and calls for new approaches to public verification, deliberation, and accountability—rooted in grassroots efforts and modern technology.

The tone throughout is urgent, critical, but also cautiously optimistic about the potential for structured, collective responses to disinformation and narrative collapse.