Opinion: There Is Nothing Journalistic About Disrupting a Church Service

Don Lemon says he was doing journalism. That's not the case.

Former CNN host Don Lemon is facing renewed criticism after being present during a protest that disrupted a church service in St. Paul, Minnesota.

According to multiple reports, a group of anti-ICE protesters entered Cities Church during a Sunday worship service to confront a pastor they accused of having ties to Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The protest interrupted the service, drawing condemnation from church leaders who described the disruption as inappropriate and disrespectful to a place of worship. The U.S. Department of Justice is reportedly reviewing the incident.

When I report, I report, and when I give my opinion, I label it clearly, and I would never blur that line the way Don Lemon did, and you can support that approach for less than a dollar per week. I can’t do this work without you.

Don Lemon was at the scene and livestreamed portions of the protest. He spoke with demonstrators inside the church and later defended his presence by saying he was acting as a journalist and documenting events as they unfolded.

In my opinion, that explanation does not hold up.

In fact, I do not believe Don Lemon has ever truly operated as a journalist in the traditional sense. Throughout his career, he has primarily offered commentary and personal opinion. Opinion is not journalism. Journalism is rooted in reporting facts, maintaining distance from the story, and allowing viewers to draw their own conclusions.

When a media figure enters a church alongside protesters and becomes part of the disruption, the role is no longer that of a reporter. At that point, it is activism. Journalism requires observation, not participation.

This moment highlights a broader problem in modern media. Viewers are often told they are watching journalism when what they are actually consuming is advocacy and opinion. There is nothing wrong with having strong beliefs, but there is a problem when those beliefs are presented under the label of journalism.

Churches are places of worship, not political stages. Bringing protests into that space crosses a line that should be respected regardless of ideology.

In my view, this incident makes the distinction clear. Don Lemon was not acting as a journalist. He was acting as an activist. And the public deserves honesty about the difference.