N&O headline framing on 4/19/06

With biased, racially inflammatory and sometimes deliberately fraudulant coverage, the Raleigh News & Observer on Mar. 24, 2006 took the lead in propegating the public part of the attempt to frame Duke lacrosse players for crimes that never happened.

An N&O news columnist has even admitted the N&O used the now disbarred former Durham DA Mike Nifong as an anonymous source. (See here and here)

For weeks the N&O evidenced a blatent pro-prosecuter bias. It withheld important news it had which was exculpatory for the players while also withholding news it had damaging to the woman the N&O had told readers was "the victim."

But for all of that, a myth has grown up that goes like this: Maybe the N&O didn't get everything right those first few days, but after that it's coverage was fair and accurate.

As part of my effort to expose that myth, I offer as one example the N&O continued its bias after "those first few day" the following extreact from a JinC post published Apr. 19, 2006, the day following the arrest, handcuffing and booking of Collin Finnerty and Reade Seligmann.
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Here are a few Duke lacrosse headlines The McClatchy Company's Raleigh News & Observer's published in the last 24 hours:

Durham DA pursues third arrest

3rd suspect sought in lacrosse case

Finnerty's exclusive neighborhood in shock

Suspects in rape share background of privilege

The N&O's exec editor for news, Melanie Sill, has blasted national news organizations for "sensationalist" reporting. She's invited them to leave the Duke and Durham area.

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Is anyone surprised that Sill, who's since been promoted to serve as vp and exec editor for news at McClatchy's flagship Sacremento Bee, is one of those now who promotes the "first few days" myth?

For that matter, is anyone surprised Sill was promoted?