Politics

“That Could Have Been Me”: ESPN Reporter Fights Back Tears While Reporting On Breonna Taylor

It's a video you need to watch.

by Rachael Conaghan  24 September 2020
breonna taylor

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Support is flooding in for an ESPN journalist who emotionally covered the latest update in the Breonna Taylor case, fighting back tears as she told viewers, “that could have been me”.

On Wednesday (local time) a grand jury announced the police officers who killed Ms Taylor would not be charged in relation to her death. The announcement was devastating for many Americans, including players in the NBA who have spent the last few months using their platform to demand justice for her and other victims of police brutality.

NBA reporter Malika Andrews was discussing their reaction to the news, but took a moment to speak from the heart about the impact that Breonna’s story has had on her.

“My job here is to objectively cover the truth and to share what these players are going through, and today what they’re going through is that they’re hurting,” she said.

“I have prided myself in being able to be objective and cover these sorts of issues.

“But when it is so clear that the system of objectivity in journalism is so whitewashed, and doesn’t account for the fact that when I am walking up the hill my wonderful producer Melinda reminds me that Breonna Taylor was 26, and I am 25, and that could have been me.

“It is very hard to continue to go to work, and that’s what these players were feeling.”

People are now praising the journalist for the strength and courage she showed in speaking out.

Protests have again broken out in Louisville in the wake of the grand jury’s decision not to charge the three police officers for the death of Breonna Taylor. Instead, one is facing three counts of wanton endangerment, because some of the shots went into a neighbouring apartment.

The decision has sparked another round of huge protests, with people furious at the result.

Lakers guard Danny Green was one of many NBA players to speak out in anger at the news, saying the jury’s decision wasn’t enough.

“We feel like we’ve taken a step back, that we haven’t made the progress we were seeking,” Green said.

“Our voices aren’t being heard loud enough. But we’re not going to stop. We’re going to continue. We’re going to continue fighting, we’re going to continue to push, we’re going to continue to use our voices.”