ninme

I love the tone of “Look what I’ve just discovered!”

CSM - Media myths about the Jena 6
A local journalist tells the story you haven’t heard.

Jena, La. - By now, almost everyone in America has heard of Jena, La., because they’ve all heard the story of the “Jena 6.” White students hanging nooses barely punished, a schoolyard fight, excessive punishment for the six black attackers, racist local officials, public outrage and protests – the outside media made sure everyone knew the basics.

There’s just one problem: The media got most of the basics wrong. In fact, I have never before witnessed such a disgrace in professional journalism. Myths replaced facts, and journalists abdicated their solemn duty to investigate every claim because they were seduced by a powerfully appealing but false narrative of racial injustice.

I should know. I live in Jena. My wife has taught at Jena High School for many years. And most important, I am probably the only reporter who has covered these events from the very beginning.

The reason the Jena cases have been propelled into the world spotlight is two-fold: First, because local officials did not speak publicly early on about the true events of the past year, the media simply formed their stories based on one-side’s statements – the Jena 6. Second, the media were downright lazy in their efforts to find the truth. Often, they simply reported what they’d read on blogs, which expressed only one side of the issue.

OMG! The media were wrong, disgraceful, reported myths, depended on a false narrative, formed their stories on one side’s statements, and were lazy! When did they become like this?!?!

It’s like that one actress, whosername, who made some cranky statement about the way her divorce or something was being reported, and she was all “Well if they get this wrong how are we supposed to believe them about the international events they report on?” Like she’s warning them that they’re losing their credibility based on her tabloid exploits. Because everyone believes the media until the media happens to them. Then they get upset.

At any rate, read the whole thing. (Apparently the media got something else wrong. “Lasso” wasn’t in their stylebook, maybe, because they’ve been calling it “noose”.)