Wednesday, April 04, 2007

Well-Deserved Award

This case has featured lots of examples of bad journalism--the New York Times leading the pack nationally and the Herald-Sun locally. But it also has featured some first-rate reporting, and today the best of the case achieved recognition: the 60 Minutes broadcast on the case received a Peabody Award--the equivalent of a Pulitzer Prize for broadcasting.

As the Peabody site notes,

A "60 Minutes" team led by correspondent Ed Bradley delved into the allegations of rape against Duke University lacrosse players and stopped a prosecutorial rush to judgment in its tracks.
The award would seem to discredit the ferocious criticism of the 60 Minutes piece provided by the H-S and the Wilmington Journal.

Hat tip: M.S.

56 comments:

Anonymous said...

from a non-lawyer / retired professor: I am glad to see that the late Ed Bradley gets the recognition he deserves. And I hope that KC addtionally receives public recognition for the great work that he has done.

Anonymous said...

a "well-deserved" award?

Can someone please tell me 1 thing on "60" that was original reporting

needless to say, 60 failed to address antiwhite racism and affirmative action as it relates to the G88

and spending all that time with the families and kim roberts

i thought it was crap--the journalistic equivalent of frozen pizza

Anonymous said...

The 60 Minutes piece was just what you would expect from any organization that employs Dan "Fake but Accurate" Rather. Wonder what the frequency truly is, eh Kenneth?

Anonymous said...

Original reporting? I hadn't seen or heard that Precious was dancing in the days following the Hoax until I saw it on 60.

RIP Mr. Bradley

Anonymous said...

And you are the blogalistic equivalent of a stupid a..hole. The program concerned the railroading of 3 innocent people. It was not intended, I think, as a cure for all the social ills of Duke and Durham.

These other issues are very valid and need to be addressed. But that is not what Bradley was about. Thank God he shed a little light on this monumental injustice and the vapid, feckless ineptness of brodhead.

Trinity60

Anonymous said...

and... the interview with Ms. Roberts... seems to me she found out during her 60 minutes interview that the false accuser had accused her of taking part in the rape and of robbing her.

It was certainly news to me that DPD hadn't already questioned Ms. Roberts about the claims the false accuser made.

For those of us already intimately familiar with the details of this case -- there not a lot of new news (but the false accuser's performances within days of supposedly being viciously beaten and gang raped -- was news to me). However, to most of America, those who had not followed the case closely -- 60 minutes was clearly eye opening. Many thought the case had already been dismissed or still believed those charged were guilty.

Congrats to Ed Bradley!

Anonymous said...

This was a well deserved award. The 60 minutes case completely changed the public perception of the incident.

The prevailing narrative went from out of control spoiled white male athletes victimizing an innocent struggling single mother, to rogue prosecutor exploiting a false rape allegation to advance his political career.

It was a courageous act on the part of Ed Bradley. His legacy will be his efforts to secure justice for the three lacrosse players.

He gets my "Atticus Finch" award.

The Random Rambler said...

^^^ dead on post

a "well-deserved" award?

Can someone please tell me 1 thing on "60" that was original reporting

needless to say, 60 failed to address antiwhite racism and affirmative action as it relates to the G88

and spending all that time with the families and kim roberts

i thought it was crap--the journalistic equivalent of frozen pizza



It made the public more aware of things. At the time of airing, a good number of people thought there kids were guilty

Anonymous said...

If this was the first public interview of the three accused players, that in itself was original and very helpful in giving a human face to these young men, who had been depicted as monsters by much of the press.

Anonymous said...

I'm at a loss to understand the sour grapes vis-a-vis 60 Minutes' reporting. Are you people seriously so sour just because this wasn't "original" reporting? Are you honestly suggesting that instead 60 Minutes should have skipped this story altogether in order to report on something more obscure - just to satisfy your demand that the program be more "original"? Do you think that the truth suffered in some important way by having this brighter light shone upon it? Or can you simply not get through the day without complaining about something... Maybe you could shut your cake-hole for just a day?

Requiem in Pace, Ed Bradley.

Duke '91

E-mail: said...

There are TOO many angry young men on this site. And I don't believe KC intended for this to happen.

Remember the phrase "the simmering pot"? Well, that pot is way beyond simmering. Ya'll need to get a grip.

Did anyone see Michael Gaynor's column today? It reeks of reverse racism.

Anonymous said...

Provocateurs just trying to divert attention and create a different discussion. As hard as it is, please ignore them.

Anonymous said...

Good question Duke 91. I do not care for the MSM, and the fact that for once they got something right is hardly worthy of praise or some meaningless insider award. Imagine if someone had the courage to do the investigative work earlier. Or if someone in the print or broadcast media told the truth about a subject - any subject - pick one that means something to you - without regard to metanarratives or political correctness or pushing an agenda. That would be refreshing. Or even straightforward reporting. Sure, 60 Minutes did a good thing, but they were late to the party and brought very little with them.

And some cake sounds good right about now...

Anonymous said...

5.17--"from a non-lawyer / retired professor: I am glad to see that the late Ed Bradley gets the recognition he deserves. And I hope that KC addtionally receives public recognition for the great work that he has done".

The good professor deserves such public recognition, to be sure. But he may feel that knowing that he helped to expose a hoax is all the reward he needs or wants. It must be enormously satisfying to know you had a hand (a big hand) in that.

Anonymous said...

Simmering pot calling the kettle black - learn to spell "you all" correctly! HAHAHAHAHA!

E-mail: said...

Also, the heavy criticism on G88. Can somebody explain to me exactly what they endorse that has everybody in such a tissy?

Is your anger based solely on their academic agenda? (my reason for asking this question is what i heard today on a blog from a female student)

Anonymous said...

Georgia Girl - like you, they are deeply engrossed in racial hatred. That puts them beyond the pale for most thinking adults. You are just the flipside of their coin.

E-mail: said...

But I have no racial hatred. I'm just here to ask questions and listen. I am truly trying to "learn" by reading KC's column.

Anonymous said...

Get off her case and go back to your sty

Anonymous said...

Georgia girl - you are not worth the effort to go back and cut your numerous statements of your hatred of blacks and paste them in a new post here - but believe me, even if you have forgotten, I have not. You are a racist and always have been.

E-mail: said...

You are correct. I grew up with racism. But I have tried to change with the times. By that I mean ... I used to "group" people. I try hard not to do that anymore. I try to respect an individual regardless of race. But it's still a problem because there are so many things I do not like about "black" culture.

And I don't apologize for that. How can I apologize for what I believe?

I've gotten way off topic.

Anonymous said...

Now, Georgia Grl, try with all your might, and imagine you are part of the group of 88 and you hate white people, but you forgive yourself because that's just what you believe. They, like you are unapologetic for ruining lives through hatred.

By the way, a true racist such as yourself feels that your race is superior to other races - genetically, intellectually, and in other ways.

See, even for you that was easy.

E-mail: said...

Oh my god, i feel as though I'm having a dialogue with a KKK member. Don't you care to know what blog I read that was so disturbing?

E-mail: said...

Do you want me to apologize for being white?

Anonymous said...

I want nothing from you and care not about what you were reading. You asked about the group of 88, I answered. You admitted being a racist, there is nothing left to write.

Anonymous said...

G/d bless you Ed Bradley.

I love you!


Debrah

E-mail: said...

First of all, ya'll should check out Michael Gaynor's column on the double murder in Knoxville.

It will enrage you (or it should) because of the reverse racism involved. Not much attention in the "press" because the victims were white.

And there's another disturbing blog I saw today that might make a case for the "required reading" (at duke).

Anonymous said...

"Frozen pizza"?

It wasn't even the whole hour was it? Of course it was frozen pizza. That's what t.v. journalism is all about, unless it's a three hour documentary. To expect a comprehensive report in 20-30 min. of airtime is unrealistic.

It was an important story. It brought the essential truth to a larger public than us obsessed blogheads with some credibility of
Bradley. It helped turn public opinion in favor of the boys and against Nifong. That's award worthy enough for me.

Other topic--has this forum gone back to unmoderated? A bit too much personal attack for my taste.

Anonymous said...

Georgia Girl said:

Also, the heavy criticism on G88. Can somebody explain to me exactly what they endorse that has everybody in such a tissy?

Have you actually read the G88 "Listening" statement? Have you read their follow-up "Clarifying" statement? Because, if not I'd suggest you should do the reading yourself before asking for others to explain it to you.

If, having read them, you still don't understand the criticism then I fear you may be too slow to follow an explanation. But, I'm game.

Let's start with the phrase "Presumption of Innocence" - do you understand what it means? Because if so, you shouldn't need to have the dots connected for you to grasp the immorality (not to mention the inappropriateness) of a group of faculty fomenting hostility and violence towards innocent men for an imaginary crime which they did not commit. I could (and will be happy to) go on, but why don't you think that over and get back to me with your response. Let's see if you can follow the narrative thus far.

Duke '91

P.S. FYI, you meant "tizzy" as "tissy" is slang with an entirely different definition.

E-mail: said...

I mean look at the garbage the duke 3 and their families have put up with for all these months. Compare that to the Knoxville murders (crimes that "really" happened with little press coverage). It really boggles the mind, and scares the heck out of me. It should scare everyone!

E-mail: said...

Sorry! I guess I blew it again. When referring to G88, I meant the "required reading" they have imposed upon students.

By the way, I've tried googling Group88 Duke .... I come up with nothing except a long list of names (faculty).

Please tone down your hostility towards me ... I really don't deserve it!

Anonymous said...

9:55pm

Buck up, wimp.
Join the parade or get off the float.
You're a softy who needs to go to bed early.

Anonymous said...

Gagrrl - you admit to hating black people then say that you don't deserve hostility. Isn't that special. Join the 21st century woman - racial hatred does not cut it any longer.

You are not deserving of approbation for your attitudes or lack of effort to educate yourself. Perhaps censure would be more appropriate.

Anonymous said...

Georgia Girl, it is hardly hostile to suggest that you need to do the background reading for yourself. Indeed, to expect anything less of you would be, as they say "the soft bigotry of low expectations."

Furthermore, this blog actually contains a link to the G88 statement. It would be well nigh impossible for KC to have made this any easier for someone to follow.

Duke '91

Anonymous said...

JLS says.....,

"....stopped a prosecutorial rush to judgment in its tracks."

Sorry but my view is that Nifong was stopped in his tracks by the defense attorneys and bloggers like Professor Johnson.

Bradley deserves the award. I certainly admired his reporting on this hoax. To me his biggest contribution was to substantially reduce the percentage of the public that will always hold the view that Evans, Finnerty and Seligmann got away with it. That number of course will never go to zero. But the 60 Minutes segment substantially reduced it. Also the 60 Minutes segment may have pushed the Bar to move ahead on charging Nifong with ethics violations before any trial.

These are not small contributions and were, as I said, certainly deserving of the award. I just don't buy the hyperbole that 60 Minutes stopped Nifong's rush to judgement because I know who really did and that include, as I said, first and for most the defense attorneys who have done a great job, bloggers like Professor Johnson, JohninCarolina and others and cable commentators like Dan Abrams.

Anonymous said...

Georgia Girl,

No one in their right mind disputes the horrific nature of the rape/torture/double murder which happened in Tennessee. I (and no doubt everyone who posts on this website) hope the perpetrators are brought to justice and pay severely for their crimes. It is shamefully under-reported. It is also off topic.

E-mail: said...

All I can say is that I witnessed the civil rights movement in the early 60s, and the women's lib movement in the 70s. I am SO thankful to those who pioneered these causes. Talk about a "simmering pot" ... the country was about to boil over.

I think "tolerance" is the key. When people (on either side) try to dominate, the result is another simmering pot. Right?

E-mail: said...

No, KC doesn't have a link to G88. If you can give me that url, I'd appreciate it.

Anonymous said...

I must concur with those who have said that the "60 Minutes" segment did not, in and of itself, stop the rush to judgment.

There were many, many contributors to this illumination right from the beginning. Not the least of whom are those of us who began hitting the local papers hard---sometimes more successfully than at other times---with our complaints and our outrage.

I give Dan Abrams the glowing cable award. He was on this hoax right out of the gate. In part, of course, because he is a Duke alumnus.

However, the national spotlight that was shown on this gross miscarriage of justice by the Ed Bradley segment was priceless.

So priceless that local newspaper editorial editors who had always aided Nifong were pissing in their panties.

To wit: The pathetic Herald Sun editorial. One, right after Bradley's segment.

Second, the Herald Sun was so upset because by then it was clear just how wrong they had been for so long that not even a dead Ed Bradley could escape their excremental attempt at condescion.

Ed Bradley's work on this case was successful. We know that because of all the ridicule he received from the masses of black racists for having exposed a whore who made false accusations.

Debrah

Anonymous said...

Georgia Girl,

You are wrong: yes, he does.

Rocket Science: Look under the heading "Motions and Documents" on the right hand side of the page. It is below "DIW in the News" and above "Previous Posts". You will find a link "Group of 88 statement (removed from Duke website)."

E-mail: said...

I swear, the G88 is not showing ... all I see is KCs profile, followed by "previous posts", and that's it.

Give me the url?
thanks...

Gary Packwood said...

Print Journalist - TV Journalist - Bloggers

I am so pleased that Ed Bradley received the Peabody award and so absolutely amazed that at least one of the print journalists from the Triangle was not at least ...in the running.

Newspaper such as the H-S have an audience and I fear that their audience is largely upper middle income people in Durham who may harbor negative feelings about Duke.

I would have bet 'the farm' that a print journalist would have at least seen a major news story at the very moment the G88 published that ad which condemned their own students...for goodness sake. That was the central issue early on... and is, in many ways...the continuing central issue.

But that didn't happen and Ed Bradley knew instinctively...this his audience would want to know about the case and that statement from the G88.

The gap between the instincts of the print journalists compared to television journalists may be the vacuum where Bloggers can make a difference in the future.
GP

Gary Packwood said...

I FORGET A SENTENCE...apologies

I am hoping that KC's book will become a 'must read' for communication and journalism students in college and universities.

Anonymous said...

I know everyone got it, but just in case.....that strange word in my 10:55pm post was supposed to be "condescension".

ok, then.

Debrah

Gary Packwood said...

Debrah 11:27:00 PM

You done good.

Thanks

E-mail: said...

Debra, I'm sure glad you clearned that up. I'm a stickler when it comes to spelling and grammar :)

Anonymous said...

Gary and GG--

:>)


Debrah

Anonymous said...

KC,
Well put as always. Pulizer's are announced on the 16th, so yours should be in the mail by now.

Anonymous said...

Georgia Girl said...
Debra (sic), I'm sure glad you clearned (sic) that up. I'm a stickler when it comes to spelling and grammar :)

Now that is a funny post! All it needs is a "ya'll" blast to make it truly a masterpiece.

Anonymous said...

To Gary Packwood -

The Triangle "upper middle income" residents to whom you refer don't read the Durham Herald-Sun, they read the Raleigh News & Observer.

Here's a little insight into the difference between the two papers.

Anonymous said...

The fact is that 60 minutes did a great job of investigative reporting,which from an overall media standpoint was a significant breakthrough. By demonstrating that the story(s) of the Accuser were a tissue of lies to a national audience they forced most of the media (not the NYT or HS) to recognize the innocence of the defendants. They deserve the award which is a fitting tribute to Ed Bradley. Some of the more negative comments are simply unreal! Thanks, KC.

Anonymous said...

To 8:06AM--

I enjoyed reading the link, but please, can you provide some more up-to-date news.

What is the circulation of the Herald Sun this year?

Are they going down further, or have they weathered the storm....on their low terms of quantity over quality?

I've heard that there is a more recent story on it all.

Can you bring that to us?

I'd like to see proof that the N&O is taking over circulation in the Triangle. That would be delightful.

Debrah

Anonymous said...

N & O exceeds 200,000 on Sundays, almost that weekdays. HS is 40,000 give or take and falling....
I advertise in both

Anonymous said...

8:47 WHO CARES??????

Anonymous said...

How people learn is by listening and reading, not talking.

Anonymous said...

a cracker award from some Georgia crackers. That 60 minutes piece was awful and one sided and was an info mercial for the defense spin. too bad it did not hurt nifong at the election as it was intended to do( even re-scheduled to be closer to the election) and he won anyway!