Although the clash in Charlottesville happened months ago, VICE’s coverage of it is as important as ever in conversations about race and the need for journalism in Trump’s America. VICE’s segment on Charlottesville, titled ‘Charlottesville: Race And Terror,’ has been widely circulated and discussed at length in conversations about the racial divide in America. It has been criticized for giving platform to such polarizing and immoral ideas, but is ultimately a necessary and compelling narrative that the American public needs to see. As a journalism student, I have watched the viral documentary multiple times, and have noticed many new things with each viewing. To analyze from not only the perspective of a general audience member, but also with the critical eye of a student of journalism is key to my understanding of the documentary and its implications on American society.
The segment of VICE News Tonight aired on television and was uploaded to YouTube and social media sites such as Facebook, and has garnered 37 million views on Facebook alone. Without distribution on the internet, this may not have reached as many people as it did. Hosted by journalist Elle Reeve, the documentary is an on-the-ground look at the rally and following violence that took place in Charlottesville in August. The documentary was formatted in chronological order, with one-on-one interviews, mini stand-up reporting segments, extensive B-roll footage of the actual events, and on the ground reporting of the events. Reeve’s style of journalism propels the segment forward, but the story is mainly told in the words and through the eyes of the participants.
‘Charlottesville: Race and Terror’ begins with coverage of the Friday night march at the University of Virginia. It features images of men marching with tiki torches, leading aggressive chants of “Jews will not replace us” and “blood and soil.” This opening places a viewer in the middle of the action, letting them decide for themselves what they are going to take from this. There is no voiceover or external reporting, just raw footage of these truly terrifying, torch-wielding men. It then cuts to the opposition, chanting “No Nazis, no KKK, no fascist U.S.A” and “Black lives matter.” The viewer then understands that there are many groups in attendance, and none of them are backing down. There is physical violence, and the first person we are introduced to via Elle says he has been maced by “Commies.” This opening sequence ends with a man in a “Black Lives Matter” shirt telling police to be ready for tomorrow. By setting the scene like this through the showing of the first wave of the clash, the audience is ready to understand who was there, and how the situation escalated.
Reeve (L) and Cantwell (R) – via HBO
The man who was maced in the sequence leading up to the opening titles is introduced first, and is the main person the documentary follows. He is Christopher Cantwell of the “Unite The Right” group. He speaks candidly with his small group of followers, a few of whom had driven from as far as Canada for the rally. The next portion features the first of many one-on-one interviews between Reeve and Cantwell, where some of the first things we hear from him include likening African Americans to “savages” and declaring white people aren’t generally capable of violence. Throughout this interview, Reeve keeps her cool, pushing him by asking him to describe how he feels about race, and providing counter arguments where necessary. It is interesting for a viewer to see and hear from Cantwell, especially talking so openly with a member of the media who the alt-right so frequently demonizes. We are able, for the first time really, to hear from someone who is leading the alt-right. Before this documentary, we saw them online and in comment sections, but to put a face to their beliefs in a way that we understand is crucial to realizing that the alt-right can organize in real time.
In her first stand-up reporting moment, Reeve provides context to viewers on what exactly is going on in Emancipation Park. She points out where the alt-right groups are, and her context is provided in a voiceover as she talks about the protest of the removal of the statue of Robert E. Lee. The viewers get a good visual of the statue, while she continues on to inform viewers of the real-world implications of this major meet-up: “They’re really here to show that they’re more than an internet meme. They’re a big, real presence that can organize in physical space. The alt-right is very organized.” As she describes what she’s seen already in the day, we see shots of individual members of the alt-right, and the banners they are carrying. Her voice over ends, and we see compiled footage of scuffles between people carrying Confederate and white nationalist flags and counter-protesters. This is all before the event was scheduled to start, setting a daunting scene for viewers as we see the day progress.
The next stand-up Reeve does is to inform viewers that riot police have told the crowd to disperse. The group her team is following decides to head to McIntire Park, the alternate place for the speakers to begin. As they walk, Cantwell declares “We’re not non-violent, we’ll fucking kill these people if we have to.” Like throughout most of the segment, Reeve puts herself and her crew in harm’s way by loading into the van with these men. The white nationalists are very much against the media, but she remains cool and does not challenge them but rather lets them have the floor. This is a very strategic journalistic practice for her to employ, and truly lets the audience take in what the white nationalists’ perspective is. She does not guide their answers, which further grounds what is going on in real time and without bias. This allows people who are watching to see for themselves, rather than being told by an in-between, what the alt-right is capable of.
The documentary continues to cover the scene in Charlottesville as it unfolds, again allowing viewers the opportunity to form their own opinions based on the raw footage they are seeing. There are more interviews with Cantwell, but the most striking of the segment comes when Reeve and her crew enter Cantwell’s hotel room. He unloads his pockets and holsters, revealing more than a few different varieties of guns. He speaks candidly about how he considered the day “a win,” upholding this even when Reeve reminds him that someone was killed. His tone, and argument alongside the pile of weapons laid on the bed all work to reveal the alt-right’s perspective to viewers without explicit explanation. It reveals the alt-right’s focus on gun rights, fear of minorities, and ability to go to extreme lengths to prove their strength–both on and offline.
In a review of the documentary, Leon Neyfakh of Slate argues that it disproves Donald Trump’s assertion that “many sides” were at fault by saying it “vividly shows that the white nationalists who came to Charlottesville did so in ravenous pursuit of violence. It was the whole point of “Unite the Right,” not an unfortunate side effect.” Because of the timeliness of the documentary during the fallout of Charlottesville, it provided a direct window into what exactly went on. President Trump certainly was not about to stand up and explain the hatred and violence on display, so it was imperative that VICE’s segment reached as many viewers as possible to expose the reality of what went on.
To argue the flip side, however, the documentary did lead to discussion on who should and should not be given a platform. As a student of journalism, I understand it to be such that journalists are responsible to the public. Their job is to show the world to the public through interviews, footage, and reporting. By holding up a mirror to the statements made by President Trump, Elle Reeve and her team exposed what kinds of people are involved in the alt-right. As Trump’s presidency continues to divide America, this documentary is essential and should set the tone for others that will follow. By showing the American public the horrors of the alt-right, this segment greatly contributed to the current conversation of race in our country and pushed boundaries of what viral documentaries can do when done in a timely and raw manner.