Jonathan Choe has been covering far-left militant group Antifa in the city for two years, a group that frequently engages in organized terror in Seattle.
Journalist Jonathan Choe and Sinclair Broadcast Group's KOMO 4 News in Seattle parted ways on Monday after the network allegedly caved to pressure from far-left activists that launched a coordinated campaign attack against Choe's reporting of a Proud Boy event.
Choe told The Post Millennial in a statement, "I am not a neo-Nazi, fascist, or white supremacist. Those are just a few of the names I have been called over the past few days for my recent coverage of a protest in Olympia, WA, that was advertised as a 'rally for America.'"
https://rumble.com/embed/vvrioy/?pub=2n05b
"As a proud Asian American journalist who’s faced years of discrimination for my race and ethnicity, this is comical at best. I’ve also been accused of intentionally creating a propaganda video for the organizers of the rally- 'Capital City Proud Boys,'" Choe said.
MY SIDE OF THE STORY. It's official. I parted ways with KOMO News. Thank you to all my amazing colleagues who gave me a chance in one of the most important media markets in America. But I am not done serving the good people of #Seattle. Stay tuned. https://t.co/jplr2VCUq1
— Jonathan Choe Journalist (@choeshow)
Choe, who reports on crime and the homeless crisis plaguing the city, has been a recent target of Antifa activists. According to sources at the network, camera operators and other staff felt unsafe covering the stories because of the activists' threats, after having witnessed the riots and civil unrest caused by Antifa and other groups during the summer of 2020 in Seattle, and since.
Antifa: “We need to do to Choe what Portland has done to Ngo.”
A Seattle Asian-American reporter (@choeshow) is facing confrontations & threats of violence by #antifa for his reporting on the city's homeless encampments. New report from @MiaCathel & I: https://t.co/8kotoKlgYh pic.twitter.com/Il3WgZKzKm
— Andy Ngô ???? (@MrAndyNgo)
Choe has been called a "voice of reason" in the city and reports on important pressing issues that much of the local media won't dare to cover. His recent reporting on Seattle's open-air drug market along 3rd Avenue has garnered national attention.
.@choeshow is releasing previously unpublished video of the times he’s been followed, harassed & threatened by militant leftists in Seattle. Here, a man with a microphone follows him as he documented an #antifa encampment. Choe was protected by security.pic.twitter.com/BHmpHqeNBv
— Andy Ngô ???? (@MrAndyNgo)
On Saturday, Choe traveled to the state capitol in Olympia to cover an event organized by the Proud Boys. Leftist activists and local journalists pounced on the opportunity to "cancel" him by labeling the reporter "dangerous."
The activists allegedly flooded KOMO with calls, demanding Choe's termination. KOMO News decided to part ways with the reporter, according to unnamed sources at KOMO News.
As of Monday, Choe's name no longer appears on the station website and KOMO News has been removed from the journalist's Twitter bio.
Choe has been covering far-left militant group Antifa in the city for two years, a group that frequently engages in organized terror in Seattle.
In a now deleted Twitter thread, Choe followed the Proud Boys rally and documented the group's march. One tweet read: "Now marching and chanting for 'freedom' in downtown Olympia. Organizers say this is for camaraderie. Calling those arrested during Jan. 6 Capitol riot, '...political prisoners who have been denied basic rights while imprisoned.'"
Activists portrayed the reporter as "far-right" because of this reporting, though he referred to the Jan. 6 Capitol riot as an "insurrection" in the thread.
Choe told The Post Millennial, "The Southern Poverty Law Center calls the Proud Boys an 'extremist hate group, known for anti-Muslim and misogynistic rhetoric.' Some of their members are now facing charges in relation to the Jan 6. insurrection at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. And last year, a Proud Boy was shot by an Antifa protester during a clash near the Capitol Campus in Olympia."
"As a journalist, this is exactly why I needed to be an observer at this most recent Proud Boy’s event and simply started live Tweeting the day. I wasn’t taking sides. I wasn’t saying anything was good or bad. In fact, none of the marchers would talk to me on the record because they said, “We don’t trust the mainstream media.” So I just started to follow the march route. Aside from some middle fingers and heckling from those who opposed the rally, the day ended peacefully and without incident."
Participants at the event allegedly refused to talk to Choe, which he reported on Twitter.
"Members of the Proud Boys and the organizers with 'Medium Free' declined my requests for interviews or comment. They are leery of the mainstream media. But they allowed me to record freely on public property without interference. No umbrellas or hands in my face," Choe tweeted, referencing an Antifa tactic used against him and other members of the media, to shield the group's activities from cameras.
Choe's final"> tweet on the thread featured a montage of the day's event with a recording of the song, "We'll Have Our Home Again," by a member of the The Mannerbund, a group described by The Jewish News of Northern California as "...a white separatist, ethno-nationalist men's club." The song had been heard playing from speakers at the event.
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It appears that Choe did not upload his own soundtrack but rather stripped audio from the day's event to add to the montage, considering one can hear car horns and participants talking amongst themselves in the background.
That montage was used by the activists to launch a coordinated attack against Choe. Activists shared screenshots of the tweet across social media, but failed to post the rest of the thread.
Far-left activists and journalists pounced on the reporter, calling Choe a white supremacist, despite his being Asian American, and a far-right/Proud Boys sympathizer. According to sources at KOMO, activists flooded the station with complaints which included accusations that Choe of made a Proud Boys/far-right "infomercial." Eventually the thread was deleted. KOMO staffers also allegedly leaked internal communications about Choe to far-left bloggers.
Choe told The Post Millennial, "In a tweet recapping the day, I decided to create a photo montage with natural sound from the march(in TV news this is what’s called a 'NAT Pkg'). One of my videos picked up music blasting from a speaker strapped over the shoulder of one of the protesters. I could not make out the words and had never heard this song in my life. You could also hear car horns and the footsteps of marchers as I weaved in and out of the crowd. I laid some photos over this natural sound from the video and hit send."
RAW VIDEO: This audio is what was posted on line with a series of photos recapping the day. I did not rip the song from a CD. In tv, it’s called a “NAT Pkg.” Please have a look and listen for yourself. @FTVLive @thedailybeast @dailykos @TheStranger pic.twitter.com/MpBfGIVbhY
— Jonathan Choe Journalist (@choeshow)
"Hours later, the critics started pouncing on this final Tweet, accusing me of intentionally creating 'white supremacist propaganda.' Several people went so far as to say I went out of my way to rip this music off a CD and lay it under the photos. Obviously, none of this is true and it was certainly not my intent. I wanted to simply capture a moment in time, with authentic visuals and sounds. It was clearly misinterpreted by some on-line."
"I later learned the song is called 'We’ll Have Our Home Again,' played on occasion at white nationalist rallies. This piece was never meant to air on KOMO’s newscast and it never did. I wanted it to be a conversation starter, and it sure did incite an unexpected response. In hindsight, I wish I added more context in this Tweet. But before I could clarify or respond to the criticism, my news director told me to take down all my Tweets related to the Proud Boys march. I was also told not to speak to any outside media. Then the following day, I was fired from KOMO."
KOMO News offered no comment when asked by The Post Millennial to confirm or disconfirm statements reportedly given to bloggers about Choe's exit from the news station.
Choe told The Post Millennial, "I’ve been a journalist now for more than 20 years. My job is to present all sides, not just the one that aligns with my values or worldview. At KOMO, I covered the vast majority of the Antifa violence and destruction the past couple years in the city. According to the ADL, “Antifa’s professed purpose is to vigorously oppose fascism. While some extreme actors who claim to be affiliated with Antifa do engage in violence or vandalism at rallies and events.” But during my time at KOMO, we still covered them even though some of these bad actors espoused hate and followed through with violence and destruction, including flag burnings and Molotov cocktail attacks on the Seattle Police Department’s East Precinct and union headquarters."
"I have also been assaulted by alt-left activists who claim to be part of Antifa. Many members openly talk about destabilizing America and bringing a socialist revolution. Some also proudly say they want to kill police. One young man who aligned himself with this ideology was just convicted of smashing an SPD officer in the head with a bat."
"Yet I want to show what’s happening at a Proud Boys rally, which ended up being quiet and peaceful, and then the critics pounce on me and accuse me of legitimizing their hate? I don’t know, but that sure sounds like a double standard to me."
"My problem arises when any group or side tries to silence me for simply trying to show what’s happening. At the end of the day, all I can do is shine a light on issues that matter to the community. Fairly and accurately."
"As for next steps, I will be staying in the media. I appreciate every message of support. But the past few days have also been an invaluable time of listening and learning from my critics. And I appreciate them as well. In the end, I may have missed the mark with my on-line coverage. But please know, it was never intended to amplify or legitimize any ideology or worldview."