The Rolling Stone magazine has retracted the University of Virginia rape story that we have previously discussed. While agreeing with a Columbia Journalism School review of major flaws in reporting and editing, the publication has refused to fire anyone. The writer, Sabrina Rubin Erdely, will continue to write for the publication despite quotations from an editor that she was repeatedly asked to confirm the story with key witnesses who were never interviewed. The review concluded that the failure “may have spread the idea that many women invent rape allegations.”
Published Jann Wenner has decided that no one will be fired for the notorious story. The alleged victim, Jackie, has reportedly refused to cooperate with either the police investigation or Columbia’s investigation. The police found no evidence to support the rape charge. Her lawyer told Columbia that it is “in her best interest to remain silent at this time.”
What is striking is disconnect between the findings and the ultimate response of the newspapers. In addition to the shocking failures of Erdely to interview key witnesses, Sean Woods, the primary editor, was found as lacking in not doing enough to press Erdely to “close the gaps in her reporting.” Likewise, Will Dana, the magazine’s top editor, “might have looked more deeply into the story drafts he read, spotted the reporting gaps and insisted that they be fixed. He did not.” Notably, Woods has insisted he did push: “I did repeatedly ask, ‘Can we reach these people? Can we?’ And I was told no.” Yet, Erdely will continue to write for the magazine?
There is a lawsuit against Rolling Stone Magazine that hopefully will impose a more concrete penalty for the negligence in this controversy.
Notably, Teresa Sullivan, the president of UVA, issued a statement Sunday evening that described the magazine’s story as “irresponsible,.” Yet, the university was equally quick to condemn those referenced in the story — a response that confirmed long-standing concerns of academics over the stripping of due process rights of those accused on college campuses of such misconduct. While both the university and the magazine raised the fear that this story has reinforced the view that some people fake rape claims (which is clearly a legitimate concern), there is relatively little discussion of the rights of those implicated in the story. That may be the focus of the resulting litigation.
As discussed by the Washington Post, the wholesale failures and bias shown in this publication was truly shocking. However, the response will only magnify that shock and reinforce the view that litigation is badly needed in this case as it was in the Duke case.
Source: CNN
Wow, Isaac. I may need to reconsider my assessment. When the pressure is on, people show their true colors. But yours is an unforced error. You bringing in George Zimmerman makes me think I may have really given you too much credit. VERY disappointing.
Karen
You represent perfectly the antithesis of ‘If at first you don’t succeed, try, try , try again.’ The bats, birds, and other animals including humans are far worse impacted by fossil fuels, and and other sources of energy that negatively impact the earth. The Koch bros. are at the forefront of most of the industries that negatively impact the earth. They are at the forefront of all that negatively impacts the integrity of the American worker, the people that make them rich.
Political mudslinging is just that. If you want to have a ‘mud off’ between the Republicans and the Democrats you can pick one first. It doesn’t really matter. Or you could do a hundred instances and then I could do a hundred instances and they we could switch.
Zimmerman committed manslaughter. He got off because he was charged by the idiot Angela Corey with murder. Read up on it in a few legal journals.
Let me say this. At least Isaac had the balls to comment here. “The Lord hates a coward.” There are many here.
GO BADGERS!
You know, if Rolling Stone did fire some of these people, they would just end up at MSNBC.
Squeeky Fromm
Girl Reporter
Oh, and Issac, this is for you:
http://grist.org/climate-energy/for-the-birds-and-the-bats-8-ways-wind-power-companies-are-trying-to-prevent-deadly-collisions/
Here are some ways that wind farms are trying to reduce the hundreds of thousands of birds they kill:
1. Radar to turn them off when a bird approaches. Wow. That’s limiting. Birds are everywhere around these things, when I’ve seen them. They would never work.
2. Try painting them a different color, because the white seems to attract insects, which could be why there are vast numbers of bats whose lungs explode due to the air pressure differences.
3. Locate them outside of migratory bird corridors, so the only birds they kill aren’t migratory.
4. Put GPS tracking systems on the CA condors so at least they can be spared being pureed.
If you think like none of the above sound like an actual solution that would stop hundreds of thousands of birds from being killed, you would be right. Which is why I consider this technology to be in the beta phase. Shocking, I know. Do Liberals just not care if we have a Wind Farm Silent Spring? It would be premature to keep expanding these wind farms until we can find a solution to this basic problem. Otherwise, hundreds of thousands will turn into far higher numbers.
Oh, and for the record, Obama has a new rule which would allow permitted wind farms to be protected from penalties for 30 years for unintended eagle deaths. Isn’t he just wonderful for the environment? What if the Koch Brothers were protected from all liability for eagle deaths for 30 years? Would that be fine, too?
Issac:
“The essence of revolution is to let the facts slide a little to project exuberance and fire up the mob.”
Oh, you mean like Harry Reid outright lying about Mitt Romney not paying taxes in order to fraudulently affect his chances to become President? A CNN reporter asked him if he had any regrets about what he did to Mitt Romney, that it was like McCarthyism. His answer, “Well, he didn’t win, did he?”
I feel very sorry for the men falsely accused, who suffered great harm from these false allegations. They can’t get back that time lost, or their reputation.
“The alleged victim, Jackie, has reportedly refused to cooperate with either the police investigation or Columbia’s investigation. The police found no evidence to support the rape charge. Her lawyer told Columbia that it is “in her best interest to remain silent at this time.””
Compare and contrast these facts with the vitriol on earlier threads regarding this topic, when those questioning her story were vilified.
Hopefully, raw egg is good for the pores, because some have been wearing it quite frequently lately, between the Rolling Stone article, Michael Brown, Zimmerman, etc.
Nick
Speaking of buttons.
If Isaac were to compare this Rolling Stone fiction to say something in a conservative news mag, then he would have some credibility. But, it’s Bush, Cheney, Koch and Limbaugh. So sad when someone shoots themselves in the foot.
theebl, I obviously gave our friend from Canada too much credit. He doesn’t know the difference from a bombastic opinion radio guy and an allegedly straight news investigative reporter. C’est la vie.
Nick
The essence of revolution is to let the facts slide a little to project exuberance and fire up the mob. The Rolling Stone and other papers like the Berkeley Barb and the Georgia Straight were created in that spirit. However, regarding rape and getting people charged with crimes of that sort that stick for life when they didn’t happen is outside of the framework of the spirit. The Rolling Stone has no position and is deplorable on this issue.
The difference between the left and the right is that when the right does it, like Limburger and the other nut cases, you kind of expect it. It’s kind of like watching a nut splashing in a public fountain. You know, entertainment. When the Rolling Stone does it, it is a greater crime as they hold themselves to those higher standards they propose. The right wing nuts have no standards. It is all about obstruction and chaos with the hope the voters will vote for them in the off chance things will get better. But it doesn’t, it gets worse.
Just trying to make up for the absence of all those liberal lemmings that have stayed away. You understand? Just sayin.
theebl, Great to see you. Here’s the thing. I THINK Isaac is smart enough to know the difference. But, maybe I give him too much credit. He has some smarts, but is blinded by ideology on many topics. This was supposed to be a big investigative piece by Rolling Stone. It turned out to be fiction and a polemic.
issac, there is a difference between Rolling Stone’s investigative report and Rush Limbaugh. Limbaugh is openly a partisan and his show is opinion. Agree or disagree, but you know where he is coming from. RS’s piece presented as fact something that we now know was not. The point is RS should have caught this before they started accusing people.
The fraternity has a case–how much they will get and what sort of damages remains to be seen. My guess, a few months of litigation followed with an undisclosed settlement and a non disparagement agreement (somewhere within insurance policy limits).
Pogo
I love those guys and their girlfriends. They always have huge muscular arms and smile like they had the biggest hangovers in the world. Back in the sixties we used to paper our walls with Communist Chinese posters showing the Chairman and Norman Bethune. A pal of mine’s uncle and aunt ran the Canadian Communist gift shop on Government and Fisgard in Victoria. We always made it a point to shop for Christmas gifts there, you know help the cause and all. Bethune was the second most popular guy in China back then.
The cops raided our pad twice. The first time on a complaint of smoke clouds emanating from under our door. A week later with four cars and eight plainclothes cops. We were lucky and we had those smiling faces all over the walls protecting us through the haze.
It was not that long ago that the media took this sort of thing seriously and it was an automatic firing offense. This reflects poorly on Wenner and Erdely, but it also shows how bad and partisan things are in the media today.
Has anyone noticed, for the most part, the liberal lemmings stay away from these type posts. Isaac feels compelled to comment w/ his usual “yeah, but” seeing the bad, but trying to deflect w/ gratuitous shots @ Bush, Koch, Limbaugh, yada yada yada. But, the rest stay away from these UNCOMFORTABLE realities like an alcoholic avoids AA meetings. Too many hard truths @ both.
This is more than crappy journalism. This is fraud.
I am not sure if it makes anyone feel better but the fraternity is suing Rolling Stone. They may end up owning the publication.
Far as I can tell, they have a case!
Well, just to hack off a few others here…my favorite cable news network of late is Al Jazeera America. They cover the world’s issues, not just the parochial narratives of a few. We should wonder why that is so? As a purported Muslim front, Al Jazeera has covered the massacres of Christians in Kenya with more detail than anyone else. Go figure.