Richie McGinniss, Journalist-Episode #344

The journalist Richie McGinniss has always craved action. As a reporter he’s found it – and a lot more – in the chaos of the streets, embedding himself with protestors to cover the most divisive and violent demonstrations in American history.

Richie may be a media professional of the new era, posting his intense, on-the-ground videos on social media, but he brings an old-school newsman’s credibility from his extensive professional experience and globe-trotting life story.

Richie studied Arabic and Middle Eastern history at Georgetown University and subsequently traveled to Jordan, Turkey, Israel, Lebanon, and Egypt’s Tahrir Square less than a month before it became the flashpoint for the widespread protests and revolutions that erupted during the Arab Spring. 

Richie has worked at the Al-Jazeera program, “Min Washington,” broadcasting to households in Arabic throughout the Middle East, at NBC News’s Washington Bureau as a production assistant, and as the video director at Daily Caller, where he built a team of ten video producers. 

While covering the demonstrations in Kenosha, Wisconsin, sparked by the police shooting of Jacob Blake, Richie witnessed Kyle Rittenhouse shoot Joseph Rosenbaum and nearly got shot himself when a bullet ricocheted near his foot. Richie was plunged into the national spotlight and praised for his clear, non-biased, neutral reporting of the violence. 

On the ground for the January 6, 2021, riot at the US Capitol, Richie not only got closer to the action than virtually any other journalist but emerged with a nuanced understanding of how news events can be interpreted and manufactured by the media. 

Richie recently published his book, Riot Diet: One Man’s Ride Through America in Chaos. I’ve read Riot Diet and can tell you it’s a powerful series of reports from some of the most infamous protest riots of our times. Though definitely not for the faint of heart, I highly recommend Richie’s book to anyone interested in an insider’s look at some of the people covering those events and how they unfold.

https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0DLQXN1DK