Ann Killion - classy lassy

Yes. Winston doesn't have a long record accusations.

So what? One credible accusation should mean something.

What if Winston 2013 = Cosby 1967?

Why enable him? Why pretend he's anything other than what he is?

And, again, prosecutors decided not to press charges not because the "investigation" showed him to not be a rapist, but because the investigation sucked.

 

It has something to do with it.

And, it has everything to do with how journalists refer to him in their reporting.

 

I get that.

I've not defended the tweet. It was unprofessional.

But, I'm not offended by the idea that Winston would be called a rapist, and neither is anyone else who isn't a fanboi.

Should reporters refer to him as a rapist? No.

Should we pretend he was proven innocent? No.

But, how should reporters handle the issue? Should they refer to the accusations against him in a profile? Of course, right? And, when they do, they should make clear that the charges were not brought because a bungled investigation meant that prosecutors could not make a case, and not suggest -- as has been suggested here -- that he was cleared of the charges after a professional investigation.

And, when a reporter gets an interview for an ESPN or SI profile, they have to ask him about the accusation, right? We're not going to just ask an accused rapist football questions, are we?

Or, have we not learned anything?

 

Nobody has learned anything.

The sarcastic and unprofessional comments that used to be thrown liberally around the press box, but would usually stay there are now tweeted out.

Nobody has learned anything and it's only going to get worse.

Ann Killion, one of the more respected columnists around, has turned into Jim Rome. "He's a rapist, er, allegedly"

 

I guess that depends on how long "we" determine one has to live with accusations that never amounted to anything.

"We" also have to remember we're NOT the legal system, we're documenters of the legal system. If the investigation was botched, we say the investigation was botched. That's it. We DON'T say that because the investigation was botched, Jameis Winston is a rapist.

We can investigate on our own, with the knowledge that it mostly would have little impact on legal justice being served.

 

I don't think this is a fireable offense. This, assuming it's the first time it's happened, merits a "Hey, watch yourself..." which she probably got based on the apology/clarification.

 

On the next season of Serial ...

 

I just get the sense that people think this is so unfair to Winston.

Who was treated more unfairly, Winston, or his accuser?

If I'm going to muster up sympathy in this case, it will be for the accuser.

 

This 15-year-old accuser against UAB's football team didn't muster too much sympathy.

http://espn.go.com/magazine/vol5no12uab.html

 

A wise man here once said, We are not the story, we are the storytellers.

Reckon that still holds true.

 

That story is a classic.