Rape, Justice and the New York Times

NY Magazine on the NYT's coverage of the Duke lacrosse case

http://nymag.com/news/imperialcity/22337/index.html

 

Paging Mr. J. Whitlock.

 

I've read the Times articles, Newsweek, North Carolina media coverage and now this, and I can safely offer this speculation: someone with a law degree from the Martinique School of Law and Bartending who practices for the firm of Hack, Crook and Leech, could get these kids off. As a matter of fact, if I'm the parent of one of these kids, I'm on the verge of firing their lawyers because they haven't gotten the charges dropped already.

 

Hell with these guys. If they aren't guilty of raping that woman, I'm sure they are guilty of something else.

String 'em up, I say.

 

I'm not impressed by this piece. Andersen doesn't exactly dissect the NYT's coverage and provide smoking guns, he quotes some anonymous staffers as saying, rather unspecifically, that they disagree with the coverage. In a newsroom of more than 1,000, I would be concerned if you found unanimity on any story. I'm neither defending nor attacking the NYT's coverage. I'm just saying it doesn't appear Andersen works very hard for the several hundred grand New York Mag reportedly pays him to write a media column.

 

the duke lax players are scummy, no doubt.

but i thought the piece was strong. for the ny times to once again be caught being so explicitly shoddy should be a concern to us all, not just those at the once-geat gray lady. if the standard for newspaper excellence keeps getting suckered like this, it's not good at all for our dying breed.

 

basically i said the same thing (on this message board) about the ny times story in question. the story was total b.s.

 

End the thread. Let the kids go. Lock the stripper/hooker up. Disbar the prosecutor. Fold the Times into Newsday. The Great Oz has spoken.

 

Well, Mr. Smary Pants, at least Jason didn't use as many $2 words in his critique of the situation as Kurt Andersen did.

 

Are they rich prick douche bags? Sure. But unfortunately for you and your sense of justice, there aren't any criminal penalties for "something else."

 

Kurt was great at Spy.

Hasn't been great, since.