Raleigh N&O Duke/Durham rape charge reporting is biased and inflammatory

Correction: The following post says the N&O published the "Vigilante" poster twice. In fact, it published it once. I apologize for my error.

John
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Raleigh News & Observer exec editor Melanie Sill has been praising The N&O's coverage of the story involving allegations of rape leveled against some members of the Duke University lacrosse team.

Today I left the following comment on the thread at her blog post. You ought to go there because the comments are very, very informative. I'm not the first John you see. I believe he's an attorney. I'm further down the thread.

At Melanie's blog I can't hyperlink so where you see hyperlinks here, there are URLs there. Otherwise, nothing was changed.
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Melanie,

Regarding The N&O’s converge of the rape allegation directed at some members of the Duke lacrosse team:

Last Sunday ,Apr 2, The N&O ran a lengthy. front-page story with a theme involving the university’s “shame.” (You even used the subhead: ‘Shame on Duke!’)

The N&O said: “Many Duke alumni are hurt and angry about what they say has, so far, been a disgraceful episode for the university”

You quoted 3 Duke alums. They all supported your theme. One, Malbert Smith, you’d quoted just a few days before.

Your “fair and accurate” newspaper didn't quote a single alum who supports the university.

But you could have if you wanted to.

There are thousands of Duke alum who are proud of the university for many reasons, including its refusal to cave in the face of outrageous attacks by The N&O and people like Professor Baker.

When Baker, in an open letter, condemned Duke for, among other things, engaging in what he called “timorous piety and sentimental legalism” most alums knew he was talking about due process and presumption of innocence.

In your reporting on Baker’s letter you didn’t tell readers it includes statements such as: “this white, male athletic team's racist assaults.”

You don’t tell readers Baker said such things as: “in a forthrightly ethical setting with an avowed commitment to life-enhancing citizenship, such a violent and irresponsible group would scarcely be spirited away, or sheltered.”

In an Apr 5 story The N&O reported: “Duke Provost Peter Lange said in a letter that he was 'disappointed, saddened and appalled' by an outspoken letter Baker wrote the Duke administration last week.”

The N&O makes it seem Lange characterized Baker's letter as “outspoken” when in truth Lange called it a “form of prejudice.”

Readers can find both letters here.

I urge readers who haven’t prejudged anyone guilty to read the letters; and then go back and look at how The N&O reported on them in this story.

Melanie, you've told us in the past that N&O news columnists must meet the same standard for factualness as N&O news reporters.

News columnist Barry Saunders recently wrote:

"If Duke could pack up and move, it would, eager to escape Durham's reputation as a cesspool of civic incompetence.

Likewise, if Durham could bid Duke 'adieu,'it would."

Can we agree, Melanie, that Saunders meets The N&O’s reporting standards?

Almost four weeks after the attack is alleged to have occurred, there's apparently been no positive identification of any individual player on the team through use of police lineups or face-photos such as were used for the "vigilante poster" The N&O’s published at least twice.

Has The N&O reported why it seems there's been no positive identification by the alleged victim of a single team member ?

Has The N&O asked the DA about that? Did you ask the alleged victim about positive identifications when she granted you an interview?

On Apr. 5 NC Central University Chancellor James Ammons issued a statement to the “NCCU family.” It is a very important part of a story about which you say The N&O has “pushed hard.”

But I don’t recall seeing anything in The N&O about the Chancellor’s statement; and a few minutes ago I couldn’t find anything in your archives. Did you ignore his statement?

I hope not. It’s calm, wise, and very newsworthy. The Durham Herald Sun published it in full. You can take a look at it here.

Ammons’ statement is a welcome contrast to the inflammatory prejudgments of The N&O and Professor Baker.

Thank you for taking the time to read this.

John
www.johnincarolina.com

Note: I’m signing www.johnincarolina.com because there are other John’s commenting here.