i've been getting a lot of request to talk about media coverage of the student
bill rape case
and this is the case in which to high school football players were found
guilty of raping a sixteen-year-old girl this was a controversial trial and
student ohio
the verdict was handed down on sunday
outlets first just get a little bit of video of the verdict and then we'll talk
about the media coverage which i've been really thinking about for a while
because i didn't want to
jump the gun on an analysis in either direction on the media coverage before i
had a chance to review more video which i've now done
let's first look at the reading of the uh... the decision on the verdict from
the judge in this case
regarding the charges of breaking
but just in this movie krishnan in trenton is
are committed to the department you services
for minimum period of one year
from national material to twenty one
okay so there was the reading of the verdict so the controversy started
around the media coverage of this event and what were the complaint is basically
one
the around the media coverage which was all mainstream media outlets that
covered this
did not really take seriously
v consequences to the victim and were just focused on how sad it was that the
defendants were now going to miss out on
potentially playing football really well
so on and so forth the other complain and we're going to all these is that cnn
fox news and m_s_n_b_c_ aired the name of the rape victim
and that is true they'd they air tube of data video where loving one of the uh...
the guilty individuals said in an apology the name of the victim
and that was erred
and we're not going to even though we could we could also repeat that may mean
akin wind and putting of repeat what was said we're not going to do that to
suffice it to say
all three networks did that lewis
so let's talk about the uh...
without a doubt
the allegations
news channels
we're focusing on the effect that this would have on the rapists in other words
the at the sadness of them now having to spend one in two years respectively
in this juvenile detention facility as opposed to talking about the victim at
the center of this
is the following clip from c_n_n_'s candy crowley take a look
i never heard anything like that
candy and um... it wait incredibly emotional incredibly difficult even for
an outsider like me
tell watched what happened at the to young men that had that's promising
uterine star football player very good
literally watch add and they believe their light fell apart one of one and
than young mentally recommended when that then
and the arms of his attorney walter matted been heat that demand my light
paved over no one it's going to want me now very period crime here arkansas stop
it there this clip goes on for close to six minutes and i watch the entire thing
twice and the focus is as the allegation states
on the affect on
the victims
other allegations that n_b_c_ news lamented the rapists promising football
careers that a_b_c_ news made excuses for the rapist and that u_s_a_ today
focused on the victim being drunk now initially my reaction was you know what
why are we focusing on that because these are the perpetrators
and they will now be punished and the victim is not really being discussed
here but then i said you know what i'm gonna look for more information before i
really kind of hand down what i think is
maya my my opinion on this
at that video on c_n_n_
the lawyer of the victim
the lawyer of the victim speaking
and the lawyer of the victim in the case
expressed the same type of sympathy
that did the uh...
a lot of the news networks or think a look at that video for can
let's see if we can get that started with syria
significant it was a very emotionally packed moment that occurred in the
courtroom were
watching this young boy sofrer uh... once he realized uh... what with the
punishment when it happened at that point
was hard to watch anybody suffering human being like that and i think
everybody in the courtroom was
significantly moved and it was those emotions that
moved everybody there uh... not that that was writer acceptable or
forgiving at that point but
to see the pain that he had caused himself and others all right that it was
uh... so let's let's talk about that because as you see here
the the attorney for the victim in this case talking about the pain
that was a parent
on the faces of the perpetrators
and how difficult a moment it was so then i started thinking well may but we
have to look at this a little bit differently broadly speaking in this
country
we do have a problem
with the blame the victim mentality
when it comes to rate
that being said
it's okay
it has to be ok to talk about
the the detrimental effect that this has on everybody involved
and i don't know that it was
as outrageous as some are saying the way this was handled now that being said
lewis when we see
c_n_n_ focus
on the sad nature
of uh... the what happens to the rapists
it does raise red flags
it does ok you know why
if when that verdict was called that there was this
incredibly sad
in the in the courtroom it's fine to talk about that but listening to what
that woman was talking to candy crowley about she said when the kid collapsed
into the arms his attorney said no one's gonna want me anymore let's put it on a
pretty selfish ok day yes crying because
his future is messed up right are really think he cares about the future of the
victim which could be uh... way more messed up all perfectly fair point so i
think the bottom line on this is that
we really need to focus here on
the victim
and we also need to focus on why are the rates happening
nobody should be indicating that this was a case where if the girl was drunk
that all of a sudden that change the situation that it makes rape ok and i
agree with absolutely every single one of those things
and i agree
that the coverage was not
focused properly i'm just not at the same level of outrage that some people
artnet on what do you think
uh... i just think that uh... uh... the sort of focus on the defendant's uh...
if there's any logic to it has to do with the fact that they're minors
and uh... if these kids were over eighteen maybe you wouldn't have seen
the same level of coverage of this type of you know the wesleyan
the the sadness of it from their point of view from the media's point of view
comes not only from the reaction and the quorum but the idea that you know which
is true which is that you know maybe they were doing things that
they thought were ok now we can debate i'd why we completed to date yeah i
don't think you understand what i'm saying just based on merit action but
what i'm saying is
uh... i'm not defending then in anyway
yet in fact i think that the cover was up
so in that sense i disagree with both of you
but what i am saying
is that
the fact that they're minors does add a-level of tragedy from the defendant's
point of view in the sense that
this is really a cd
and region issue with small towns that have the good ol boy mentality
and that is as much to blame for this as those kids and an individual level no
question about it and really what we got i think the only thing we can really say
in the end is
the coverage was not good
that way that it was perceived is a direct result of that coverage so if
it's c_n_n_ is going to be criticized they absolutely deserve it and they
should have been aware that this was going to be via the reaction big is it
is not and unfair reaction in anyway
let's just also consider that even the attorney for the victim felt some of the
same feelings that were expressed on c_n_n_ and that being said we have such
a problem with the mentality of round raped in this country that is that it is
truly sickening i think the coverage was was terrible i think they quickly we
dropped the ball i feel no sympathy for uh... two guys who raped the girl
and i think process incision p
stricter library and i don't think the sentences are strict enough
ahead but now they could be up until age twenty one uh... really dot that's gonna
happen if i will not happen