In an online chat at washingtonpost.com today, media reporter Howard Kurtz condemned the media's rush to judgment in 2006 in the Duke lacross rape allegations.
"If you go back and lok at the coverage of 13 months ago, knowing what we know now, teh tone of much of it was irresponsible," wrote Kurtz in response to a question from Floris, Va. Later in response to a question from Portland, Ore., Kurtz cited the 1996 Olympic park bombing and the early media buzz over suspect Richard Jewell, "who turned out to be innocent." Kurtz worried that the media's rush to judgment in sensational crime stories "is a lesson the profession never seems to learn."
Kurtz's remarks about media coverage differ wildly from the cavalier tone taken by ABC's Terry Moran in a blog post from April 12.
Writing on his "Pushback" blog then, Moran insisted that the Duke lacrosse players received "special treatment in the justice system -- both negative and positive." He failed to offer a similar indictment of the media frenzy surrounding the case and even suggested that the Duke players would get over their ordeal with little trouble (portions in bold are my emphasis):
As students of Duke University or other elite institutions, these young men will get on with their privileged lives. There is a very large cushion under them--the one that softens the blows of life for most of those who go to Duke or similar places, and have connections through family, friends and school to all kinds of prospects for success. They are very differently situated in life from, say, the young women of the Rutgers University women's basketball team.
Despite widespread interest in the blogosphere, none of Kurtz's questioners brought up Terry Moran's comments, nor were they raised in Kurtz's "Media Notes" column today.
—Ken Shepherd is Managing Editor of NewsBusters
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One can only hope that Terr
April 16, 2007 - 13:40 ET by heldmywOne can only hope that Terry Moron gets himself Nifonged real soon.
Good and hard.
The three kids from Duke were
April 16, 2007 - 13:55 ET by Gat New YorkThe three kids from Duke were excoriated by The New York Times even after there was concensus that the case was bogus. There was also Terry Moran, Rolling Stone magazine, Sports Illustrated, the Durham Herald Sun, and others. There is a limit to freedom of the press when it comes to the civil rights of an individual and I would hope that the parents and their attorneys hold these media outlets accountable for their actions, as well as hold the racist agitators also accountable.
GAT how about the duke students -
April 16, 2007 - 14:01 ET by misterbillGAT how about the duke students - and their lawyers and parents demand the networks and media fire those who misrepresented the facts. I would rather be called a "nappy headed ho" than be publicly convicted of sexual misconduct in the media.Especially when there was not an ounce of proof. Oh yes, don't forget to demand the jobs of the 88 admins and faculty who signed the "guilty before trial" papers asking for the accused to be removed from Duke.
I believe Evan's mother said
April 16, 2007 - 14:14 ET by Gat New YorkI believe Evan's mother said it best on 60 Minutes when she said they picked on the wrong people. She is one of the more powerful lobbyists in DC and if you ever worked with one you would understand that this is not someone you want to cross. So I would think they are making their plans and everyone that defamed them is fair game. That will include people who thought they were protected like the media, teachers and administrators, as well as the black activists like the NAACP, Jesse, and Sharpton. My son was down there this past weekend for his fifth reunion. This could have easily have happened to my son as to the ones charged and I know exactly what action I would be taking.
I'm sure they'll ALL be gla
April 16, 2007 - 14:32 ET by heldmywI'm sure they'll ALL be glad to chip in for legal expenses, and Duke will pick up the remainder.
"these young men will
April 16, 2007 - 13:57 ET by ckc1227"these young men will get on with their privileged lives.There is a very large cushion under them"
Not as large as it once was, since each one spent a million dollars on their defense. And contrary to popular belief, these families didn't have an extra million dollars just laying around.
ckc-- a finding against the 88 and the NC county--
April 16, 2007 - 14:03 ET by misterbillckc-- a finding against the 88 Duke staff and the NC county--that Nutfong works for should result in a penalty large enough to restore the families to their pre-accustaion financial status.
a finding against the 88 Du
April 16, 2007 - 14:18 ET by motherbelta finding against the 88 Duke staff and the NC county--that Nutfong
works for should result in a penalty large enough to restore the
families to their pre-accustaion financial status.--misterbill
And I hope the families do sue Nifong and his department. This was not just a case of a bungled investigation and absence of malice. This was a deliberate attempt by Nifong to railroad these guys. He ignored exculpatory evidence, even when it was revealed in the media. Heck, he didn't even interview the "victim", so sure was he of the case he was building...or I should say "manufacturing."
exculpatory evidenceHe withhe
April 16, 2007 - 16:17 ET by dahliatraversexculpatory evidence
He withheld the results of the DNA tests from the Grand Jury. Shocking and appalling.
"ckc-- a finding again
April 16, 2007 - 15:59 ET by ckc1227"ckc-- a finding against the 88 Duke staff and the NC county--that Nutfong works for should result in a penalty large enough to restore the families to their pre-accustaion financial status."
That's true. The only problem is then they are taking taxpayer money, except for the Duke money, Duke being a private institution. One way or another, someone who shouldn't be is getting hosed.
I posted somewhere else yeste
April 16, 2007 - 14:11 ET by bigtimerI posted somewhere else yesterday about Howie Kurtz on his Sunday show on CNN being the only one I have heard say we in the media owe a big apology...
Still waiting for the others to follow...
Yeah right...when pigs fly.
Still waiting for the other
April 16, 2007 - 14:23 ET by motherbeltStill waiting for the others to follow...--bigtimer
bt... you can start holding your breath now.....
they haven't even apologized for convicting Richard Jewell in the media yet, and that was how many years ago? They just let it all slip down the memory hole.....
Oh, and how about the 80-odd professors etc. at Duke that signed a letter condemning the guys before all the evidence was even in. They all heard 3 white jocks, black woman.... 'nuff said, get a rope.
Exactly mb,Like I said...when
April 16, 2007 - 14:37 ET by bigtimerExactly mb,
Like I said...when pigs fly!
Past pathetic isn't it?
They no know shame, not capable of it, nobody holds them accountable.
Past time someone does, I do not care if they sue big time or what, something has to be done, I know Greta Van Cistern is in trouble with her shows and the blatant accusations of Howrd K Stern being involved in killing Smith and her son...can't say as I blame him either...if more people would do this, maybe we would get some semblance of half-assed responsibility.
Howard Kurtz is partly right,
April 16, 2007 - 14:13 ET by Michael ChapmanHoward Kurtz is partly right, it was a "sensational case" and that gave it legs. BUT the real issue, which APPARENTLY Kurtz has not discussed is that this case has political correctness written all over it and that's why the NYT, and Terry Moron, and so many other dim-bulbed media folk smeared and convicted the Duke players early on. Here's the storyline: 3 white lacrosse players gang-rape a black woman and get caught. That's all the leftist academics and their friends in the liberal media needed. Race, rape, and "rich" white boys. The lacrosse players were smeared early on and then essentially convicted and damned by many in the liberal media, and by some 88 academics at Duke. The lacrosse coach was also fired. Duke's president acted cowardly. Thank goodness, despite the cost and trauma, the legal system in North Carolina finally did get to the bottom of it all and publicly exonerated the young men who were falsely accused and railroaded by Nifong and the liberal media. The New York Times reporters are, simply, laughable--------read Stuart Taylor's analysis for more.
K.C. Johnson and Stuart Taylo
April 16, 2007 - 14:30 ET by Gat New YorkK.C. Johnson and Stuart Taylor have done a heroic job of reversing the dynamics of this case and exposing the truth.
The irony of Duke and Durham is that there was no racial tension as was created as a result of this episode. Duke has invested heavily into Durham and the Duke students participate significantly in volunteering.
Another irony is that most students who attend Duke are there for economics, engineering, pre-med, or pre-law. Their parents tend to be successful, conservative and unimpressed with left wing ideologues. None of the 88 teachers came from the economics department (economics being the largest group of graduates each year). The 88 teachers and the small minority of students tended to be from liberal arts curricula.
But the Duke Administration was responsible for their conduct and according to the faculty handbook they should have been terminated.
Who still need to be heard from are the Duke alumni and donors who are not at all happy with the President and the BOT's response and are concerned about the University's future.
Where was Kurtz back then?W
April 16, 2007 - 15:01 ET by JDWWhere was Kurtz back then?
Where is the faculty today?
The news media wants Gonzales off his throne yet Nifong, only misconduct charges.
Araton claims the women's lacrosse team support for the men defies common sense.
Sen Clinton decided to evade the rich white boys and visit the poor black broads.
Political, please.
JDW
News media: Scoreboard for terrorists
If you are going to whine about spelling... get a life
K.C. Johnson who has a blog c
April 16, 2007 - 15:32 ET by Gat New YorkK.C. Johnson who has a blog called Durham in Wonderland wrote this piece in retort to Terry Moran’s continued desecration of the 3 Duke lacrosse students:
http://abcnews.go.com/US/LegalCenter/story?id=3043570&page=1