On April 2 the Raleigh News & Observer published its infamous “Vigilante” poster photo containing the names and face photos of 43 white Duke lacrosse players. We did not know then the DNA results would be negative; and we were many weeks away from learning about the rigged identification procedure in which, as Duke Law professor James Coleman said, “there could be no wrong answers.”
So on April 3 when N&O reader John McClancy left a comment at 17:43 on this post thread at the N&O’s Editors’ Blog he knew nothing about the DNA results or the identification travesty.
With that in mind, let’s look at some what McClancy said Apr. 3 to the N&O’s executive editor for news, Melanie Sill:
Instead of focusing on the facts, your paper trades in classic yellow journalist, pandering to sensationalism to sell newspapers regardless of the cost of another’s reputation or safety.Duke University’s President, Richard H. Brodhead, has said last March and April were a “very confusing” time.
The only thing that is clear is that the woman had sex. It has not been established who she had sex with or under what conditions, or that it even occurred at the party at all.
Yet the News and Observer, both through your columnists and bias (sic) reporting, continues to inflame the community. The players are castigated and defamed merely for exercising their constitutional rights to follow their attorneys’ wise council.
As a journalist, would you treat exercising the first amendment with the same contempt?
Refusing to comment, especially to a reporter, is not an admission of guilt or even of knowledge of a crime: it is simply good sense! Or do you really expect them to trust the balanced reporting of the News and Observer? […]
After Duke wisely removed the players’ photographs from the website for their own safety, the News and Observer published them so that anyone not getting to the website in time would still have names and faces.
Most, if not all, of these young men may not have been involved in any way, but the News and Observer has lead the way in making them all targets in an emotionally charged and racially divided community.
It may be that this woman’s story is the absolute truth. Even so, the perpetrators deserve their day in court. And those who may be completely innocent deserve to be able to go on with their lives without fear of becoming the victim of a reprisal because of your need to sell newspapers.
N&O reader John McClancy doesn't sound very confused, does he?
I hope McClancy sees this.
6 comments:
John McClancey is a brave and honest man. Unfortunately, last Spring , he was a voice crying in the wilderness.
It's heart-wrenching to read again and revisit those days.
Thanks, JinC...so much great reading here!
Thanks John
First I'd seen of that well written post by McClancey.
Good of you to post it again for any that missed it and those that enjoy seeing it again.
Kent
Amazing to read McClancey's letter from a point when, even I, thought that "something" must have happened. He cut to the heart of the matter. Who would have thought that the Hoax would be continuing today? It is appalling.
Texas Mom
Can you imagine the outrage if the government stripped the N&O of their constituional rights to free speech as it did in stripping these boys of their constitutional rights to due legal process, right to a speedy trial, etc., etc.???
There actually were quite a few of us that thought there was a smell about the case from the "git-go". We were labeled racists because we noted that the story(ies) didn't add up.
A great many of us that thought we smelled something rotten realized it was possible to be wrong, but we still knew that justice was being trampled even if the accusations turned out to be true.
June 21, 2007
JWM,
Well, I finally have seen it. Thanks for the kudos.
But geez, who knew?
For the first two weeks, Nifong pulled one the screwdest political move I had ever seen. If he had shut up then, he would have been governor for sure. As it is....
John McClancy
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