Indeed. I think that another way to look at it would be that protestors are not simply messengers, they are people who have specific goals which they would like to effect.
The war reporters, scientists, or perhaps the journalists reporting on the protests are the messengers here, and whilst I think they do receive a fair amount of cynicism, usually that's linked to the perceived attempt at influence.
i.e. Okay, you want me to change what I'm doing for you. I don't know you, and my natural tendency is to decline such requests until I determine that you're trustworthy, because otherwise I'd simply be under a constant DoS attack.
The war reporters, scientists, or perhaps the journalists reporting on the protests are the messengers here, and whilst I think they do receive a fair amount of cynicism, usually that's linked to the perceived attempt at influence.
i.e. Okay, you want me to change what I'm doing for you. I don't know you, and my natural tendency is to decline such requests until I determine that you're trustworthy, because otherwise I'd simply be under a constant DoS attack.