The Other McCain

"One should either write ruthlessly what one believes to be the truth, or else shut up." — Arthur Koestler

Lynching Big Red: National Media’s Journalistic Crime Against Steubenville

Posted on | January 14, 2013 | 12 Comments

“Families of Big Red athletes have reported being harassed and threatened. . . . Police increased patrols around city schools after a threat of violence triggered a lockdown.
“[Local parent Jackie] Sacripanti said children in the community who had nothing to do with the parties or the alleged rape ‘are being taunted and harassed, just because they attend Steubenville City Schools.’”
– Linda Harris, “Standing up for Steubenville: Rally supports scandal-shocked residents,” Steubenville (Ohio) Herald-Star

What happened the night of Saturday, Aug. 11? We can’t yet say we know “beyond a reasonable doubt,” but Lee Stranahan, who visited Steubenville last week and has examined testimony in a preliminary hearing, is beginning to express entirely reasonable doubts about how the media have covered the accusations of rape against two football players — and insinuations against many others in the community.

An attorney for one of the two accused football players is seeking to have the trial moved out of Steubenville:

Attorney Walter Madison . . . says the case has gone “out of control” amid extensive online and media attention.
The case has gained international attention through the work of bloggers and hacker-activists who allege that other football players should be charged in the August incident but have been protected through a cover-up.

The involvement of “bloggers and hacker-activists” in this case has been problematic, as Lee Stranahan documents extensively:

Alexandria Goddard’s role in this story is an object of particular scrutiny by Stranahan. The former Steubenville resident is being hailed as a heroine by some in the media, who are treating ”facts” she has “reported” as if they were . . . well, factual reporting.

This has fostered suspicions of a conspiratorial cover-up by law enforcement, suspicions which may be wholly unwarranted because, in case it has previously escaped your notice, the two suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law, and there has not yet been a trial.

Nevertheless, the national media have jumped to conclusions faster than you can say “Duke lacrosse team.” Not only has the accusation of rape been assumed as a proven fact, but the shadow of guilty complicity has been cast over the entire city of Steubenville. When the truth is finally known, the media’s credibility is not likely to be enhanced, but who can the innocent people of Steubenville sue to get their reputations back?

PREVIOUSLY: ‘Anonymous’ and Steubenville: Online Lynch Mob Complicates Rape Case

 


Bookmark and Share
Category: Crime, Media Bias, Ohio

Comments

  • none

    Isn’t Steubenville the home town of Dean Martin?

  • http://wizbangblog.com/ Adjoran

    Stranahan claims in the third link that “Ms. Goddard issued an apology as well” but nothing in her statement expresses any remorse or apology, just Saltsman’s, and “clarifies” that they have no evidence against him in the main events. It doesn’t even pretend to exonerate the kid or apologize.

    His entire emphasis seems to be her and the KYAnonymous or “Commander X,” but not in any way dealing with specifics of the actual case. While I think we can all agree they are a bunch of lowlifes, how does that constitute “reasonable doubt” in the case at hand?

    Lee spend time reading evidence transcripts and presumably talking to witnesses, yet his four posts on the subject have nothing to do with any of that. Seems an odd approach to “reporting” a story.

  • http://boogieforward.us/ K-Bob

    No, just a guy who looked and sounded exactly like him. One “Dino Paul Crocetti.”

  • http://boogieforward.us/ K-Bob

    I read the coverage by Stacy and the posts linked to Lee here as being about the hacktivists, specifically, and how they are clouding the rape case. Further, Stranahan is pointing out that the national media are using rumors and their favorite tool in their limited arsenal, namely “making $hit up,” so that they can advance their narrative: that the GOP is somehow supporting rape because #WarOnWomen, and because #ShutUp.

    The rape and her pain are awful, and should be covered professionally. When it gets hard to find the professional journalists among the narrative pushers and the screen of noise pushed by hacktivists, then the young woman’s pain has become part of their political hack job. Diminished, to a mere knot upon a club with which to beat one’s foe.

    That is a story. I’m glad Lee shared his observations.

  • http://boogieforward.us/ K-Bob

    Also, Lee has name-redacted copies of actual transcripts on his site.

  • Quartermaster

    But, but, but…they mean well. They have their hearts in the right place.

    If you’re a Marxist Progtard.

  • http://profiles.google.com/rob5136 Rob Crawford

    A lynch mob that hangs a guilty man is still a lynch mob.

  • http://profiles.google.com/rob5136 Rob Crawford

    And Jimmy the Greek, AFAICR.

  • Pingback: Steubenville ‘Rape Crew’? Non-Facts Smear the Innocent in an Ohio Town : The Other McCain

  • http://www.facebook.com/bcking13 Brandon King

    Wouldn’t it be funny if Goddard was nominated for a Peabody while these two nitwits were busy taking turns putting their noses in Lee Stranahan’s butt. P.S. Nice Obey Giant (Shepard Fairy) RIP OFF header graphics. NOT! Can’t even buy an original concept eh? puke.

  • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=538957452 Xander Harris

    The Rape Crew.

    That is the name they gave themselves.

    The Rape Crew. And they were proud of it. And you’re defending them.

Performance Optimization WordPress Plugins by W3 EDGE