UVA and the alleged frat rape - Rolling Stone backpedals

Re: Rolling Stone on rape at UVA

Do a Goggle search for "Ryan McFadden, Duke," and let me know what you find.

How about "Collin Finnerty, Duke?" The first page is links and references to the Rape scandal.

http://www.vanityfair.com/society/2014/03/duke-lacrosse-rape-scandal-ryan-mcfadyen

I dunno about the truth "shinning" through.

 

Re: Rolling Stone on rape at UVA

The Duke lacrosse comparison was probably a bad one because they did get formally charged and their full names were released to the public. It was a little more high-profile than this one, and brought down a lot of high-powered people.

So, I'll stipulate that the stigma will stay with the Duke players for much, much longer than it would for unnamed but possibly identifiable frat bros from UVA. The fact that they weren't named does give them a certain degree of plausible deniability, enough to never face charges without further confirmation of identities, at least.

 

Re: Rolling Stone on rape at UVA

This is a discussion about a piece that ran in Rolling Stone magazine, on a message board for journalists. If you want to start a separate thread about campus rape, no one's stopping you.

 

Re: Rolling Stone on rape at UVA

The Manti Te'o story brought attention to what it was like to play football with a heavy heart.

Why did journalists focus instead on whether it was true or not?

 

Re: Rolling Stone on rape at UVA

The best I can tell, shottie thinks journalists already have a trust/credibility with the public, and doesn't want a spotlight shown on this article because it will only add to the problem. He thinks it's especially worrisome that fellow (former) journalists would be the ones shining the spotlight on the problems in journalism.

And, this spotlight also takes away from what should be an important discussion about rape/campus rape/rape culture.

As usual, shottie's take is wrong.

The best way to lessen the problems in any industry is to shine a spotlight on them. We should highlight them. This serves to lessen the chance that it will occur in the future. And, when you cover up problems, it makes the public wonder what else is being covered up; what else is not true.

The media would be aghast when members of any other industry worked to protect their worst offenders, and covered up problems. We all rail against the "Blue Wall of Silence". We are terrified that bad doctors are protected, or that teachers/coaches/priests are allowed to move on to another job when they come under suspicion of criminal acts at their present job.

Journalists should be more concerned about problems in their industry that the public. It's your profession to safeguard. And, unlike other industries -- banking, legal, medical -- it has no outside oversight. Because of the First Amendment, the media is not regulated by the government. It must hold itself to a higher standard.

As for distracting from other issues, that's irrelevant.

We can have a discussion about rape, or other campus issues, without this case being a motivator.

 

Re: Rolling Stone on rape at UVA

By the way, this story is going to absolutely go nuclear in a few days with the university and the Charlottesville P.D. find no evidence of anything Jackie talked about. It could be the feminist Ferguson.

 

Re: Rolling Stone on rape at UVA

Will they be able to identify "Drew" and clear him, or will he turn out not to exist?

If Jackie cooperates with the police, they will know if there is or is not some Drew character.

 

Re: Rolling Stone on rape at UVA

Prediction? They will say that they could not verify his existence.

 

Re: Rolling Stone on rape at UVA

Which would mean it's a total fabrication. That would be crazy.

I half figure that "something" happened, but that belief lessens every day.

 

Re: Rolling Stone on rape at UVA

And to be clear, I feel horrible for Jackie, assuming my suspicions are true. But I just feel horrible for her for different reasons than everyone else.

 

Re: Rolling Stone on rape at UVA

To Chronicle of Higher Education posters, that's not going to be enough. Just because Drew doesn't exist doesn't mean he's not a rapist.

 

Re: Rolling Stone on rape at UVA

There's no way I believe it's a total fabrication. Unless it's a total fabrication from Erdely, and Jackie doesn't exist, either.