UVA and the alleged frat rape - Rolling Stone backpedals

Even though I've expressed concern that writing about a sensational alleged rape dangerously feeds into the idea that this is how it happens, I can also understand why Erdely wanted a rape like this for a totally legitimate journalistic purpose: if the school sweeps this rape under the rug, just think of what they do with your garden variety rape.

That's not a completely indefensible approach to the story.

 

Erdley apparently had a malicious, preconceived narrative that she set out to write, damn the inconvenient facts. In her case, the boogeymen were white, privileged, flip-collar frat boys. Another unscrupulous impostor of a journalist, based on his/her disposition, might pick different boogeymen.

It's just unfortunate that this particular incident provides a gotcha moment for the trolls fighting the good Internet fight on behalf of oppressed white males.

 

I mean, this is the same magazine that put Al Gore, John Kerry and Barrack Obama on its cover and had Wenner conduct soft Q&As with all three. Taibbi became essentially the face of the magazines non-entertainment journalism by casting Republicans as evil and Democrats as cowards. These are my politics! So I'm hardly offended. But saying it doesn't have a POV is a little silly.

How soon we forget the controversy over Gore's half boner on the cover.

 

Just came across this ...


Study Challenges Notion That Risk of Sexual Assault Is Greater at College

http://chronicle.com/article/Study-Challenges-Notion-That/150817/

The study ... http://www.bjs.gov/index.cfm?ty=pbdetail&iid=5176

 

Did you know that 65 percent of all reported rapes are perpetrated by white people? And, that number holds steady through pretty much all age groups.

Rape is much more a white issue than it is a black one. Telling the "rape crisis" story any other way would be more than a small misrepresentation.

 

Well, when you consider that white people make up 72% of the population, wouldn't you be surprised if a large majority of rapes weren't committed by them?

 

So, if a large majority of rapes are committed by white men, young white men, why is it all of the sudden "politically motivated" instead of "factually motivated" to endeavor to write an article about rape framed around young white men?

You may also take into account that a larger majority, as high as 85 percent, of victims are white, too.

 

Wait a minute - where are they getting the money for all these rapes and stuff? /Creosote

 

Donna L. Potts, rape victim and Washington State professor, on "Our Collective Apathy About Gang Rape."

http://tinyurl.com/nm2rrv2

 

As soon as the Rolling Stone account of a gang rape at the University of Virgina was published, doubts about its veracity began to circulate. The columnist Jonah Goldberg, for example, found it implausible that seven fraternity “pledges” would commit such a violent rape.

Rolling Stone story: 11/20/14
Jonah Goldberg column: 12/3/14

 

From the comments on the Chronicle column:

I find her entire story credible and wish that some good reporter would follow every single lead now. ... Because of admittedly bad reporting by the RS done merely to illustrate a story it believed--that gang rapes happen at colleges--no good reporting has been done since to pursue the truth in this particular case. Currently the wider press is merely illustrating the story it now believes--that she lied. Same bad work.

Shoe, meet PW2's TV screen.