Giving implicit credence to the named sources who described Michael Brown as having his hands up as he was fired on by Officer Darren Wilson, I criticized the use of unnamed sources who offered opposing information: They said that the officer had reason to fear Mr. Brown. I even went so far as to call those unnamed sources “ghosts” because readers had so little ability to evaluate their identity and credibility.
Now that the Justice Department has cleared Mr. Wilson in an 86-page report that included the testimony of more than 40 witnesses, it’s obvious to me that it was important to get that side of the story into the paper.
March 23, 2015
The NYT public editor takes back her criticism of the NYT in the reporting of the Ferguson shooting.
Margaret Sullivan regrets her accusation that the Times reporters enaged in "false balance" and gave "dubious equivalency" to anonymous sources:
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She's omitted an important part of the story -- one DOJ noted in their report -- which is that those unnamed sources went unnamed because they were afraid of retaliation for contradicting the fake narrative being pushed by the activists. Honestly, absent that dynamic, I don't think she'd have been wrong to be dismissive of the unnamed sources.
Somehow it seems a bit late. The lie has traveled around the world, twice, hitting the famous resort capitals of Europe as well as remote outposts in the far North and South, and has now booked transport to Mars and beyond; meanwhile, the truth accidentally stuck both legs into one pants leg, fell over, whacked its head, and crawled back into bed, giving up on day as a bad job.
I doubt the media has really learned its lesson. The lie served its purpose; the objective of racial division was accomplished. The media loves a good story.
These late "regrets" from the Washington Post and the New York Times ring hollow. No one is going to be fired. No MSM editor is going to incorporate these "lessons" into future decisions on reporting.
The lie was too good to be true.
Snitches get stitches. That should have been part of the report. The witnesses were not in fear of the police but of a sector of their own community.....That sector was and continues to be immune from media criticism and reporting. The people who lied were not called out on their lies.
It's all a setup. So that next time there's a chance to roast whitey, they can say - no, no, we're a legitimate news source. Remember last time when we admitted when we were wrong. You can trust us.
No consequences, just lucy-and-the-football style journalism.
It's baffling to me that Sullivan didn't even consider that there were two sides to the story.
I'm generally inclined to trust the police in incidents like this but I always consider that there are two sides to the story.
Sometimes there are very good reasons, not bad reasons, for anonymous sources, and you can't make a good general rule as to when it is good and when it is bad without coming very close to begging the question, but most people can tell or find out if they are not biased.
Here, the fear was all on the side of those who tod a story conflicting with the notion that Michael Brown was innocent, although maybe some people wanted to pretend it was the other way around.
this opinion column seems more august than the previous.
"Now that the Justice Department has cleared Mr. Wilson in an 86-page report that included the testimony of more than 40 witnesses, it’s obvious to me that it was important to get that side of the story into the paper."
Gee, you think?
told a story.
What we still don't have is a good, honest, life story of Michael Brown, which will explain, or attempt to explain, why he attacked the policeman.
Otherwisde he comes out looking like a zombie, and he was not.
Was he a member of a gang?
Was he encouraged by his companion, or by others weeks in advance, who perhaps told him cops were bound by rules and could be faked out?
Was he trying to steal a gun from a cop because such guns are worth a great deal on the black market?
Was he involved with a murder somewhere maybe, and afraid of getting arrested?
Was he high on supplemental testosterone and overconfident?
BDNYC said...
I doubt the media has really learned its lesson. The lie served its purpose; the objective of racial division was accomplished. The media loves a good story.
We've heard this before. One instance was the CBS News forged email story where they tried to give the election to John Kerry (who by the way served in Vietnam). We were told the emails were "fake but accurate".
Another example was the infamous Duke Lacrosse (false) rape case, where they later said that "The Narrative was right but the facts were wrong."
In both cases, the news media has their pre-written story - the all powerful Narrative - that explains everything from a Leftist perspective. News stories are selected, written, and edited to fit and advance the Narrative. Only occasionally do they later admit that the story was wrong. Despite all that, we're supposed to believe them. Once you see the Press making mistakes on subjects that you're knowledgeable about, you should show the same skepticism towards everything else they say and write.
“Briefly stated, the Gell-Mann Amnesia effect is as follows. You open the newspaper to an article on some subject you know well. In Murray's case, physics. In mine, show business. You read the article and see the journalist has absolutely no understanding of either the facts or the issues. Often, the article is so wrong it actually presents the story backward—reversing cause and effect. I call these the "wet streets cause rain" stories. Paper's full of them.
In any case, you read with exasperation or amusement the multiple errors in a story, and then turn the page to national or international affairs, and read as if the rest of the newspaper was somehow more accurate about Palestine than the baloney you just read. You turn the page, and forget what you know.” - Michael Crichton
The demonstrations and the riots were all about "hands up, don't shoot". The instant revision is that the community was protesting unfair ticketing practices. Right before your eyes, even as it unfolds, they rewrite history.........I would like some in depth reporting as to why Ferguson's black population continued to grow even while its white administration and police force created such a hell hole for black people.
Ego me absolvo.
"those unnamed sources went unnamed because they were afraid of retaliation"
Exactly and they still don't see it.
And the AP History course material linked Clarence Thomas to the KKK.
"it’s obvious to me that it was important to get that side of the story into the paper."
Oh bullshit.
You hacks routinely and knowingly lie, and when you are busted you place a "correction" on the bottom inside of page A12 six months later.
You should be fired.
Will we learn from this?
I'd guess no.
I wish Eric Holder would have pushed that part of the finding of his investigation more. Really hit the point that Mike Brown did the wrong thing and behaved in a way that is dangerous for both black and white people. Teach a lesson to young people: Do not do this.
The Headline and the Damage Done
Missing from her post:
"I'm sorry" (this is at least implied, though)
"Here's why I got it wrong" (all she says is that she was obviously wrong given the DOJ rpt and the beenfit of hindsight)
"Here's why (I think) my judgement was off"
"Here's what I'll do in the future to avoid this error"
I'm glad she can say she was wrong, but without any of the above it reads more like "hey, I got caught being biased." If it wasn't for the DOJ report's overwhelming clarity would she have posted anything?
"...it's obvious to me that it was important to get that side of the story into the paper."
That makes it sound as if the truth is merely one side of the story.
The named sources were three people:
1. Dorian Johnson, a thief who was a month-long personal friend of ....
2. Piaget Crenshaw, who was the employee of ....
3. Tiffany Mitchell, who was introduced by Crenshaw to Johnson right after the incident.
These three knew each other.
During the first days -- August 9-12 -- they were the only named witnesses, and they told a coordinated lie in the mass media about Brown turning around, trying to surrender, and being shot on that spot.
On August 13, a fourth named witness -- Michael Brady -- spoke to the mass media. He said he saw Wilson and Brown struggling through the police vehicle's window. Brady said he did not see what happened when Brown turned around.
After Brady, there were no more named witnesses, because the looting and arson terrorized the real witnesses.
Because the physical evidence -- blood drops and ejected bullet cartridges -- contradicted the three named witnesses -- Johnson, Crenshaw and Mitchell -- the Justice Department's report about the incident dismissed those three as unreliable, adding that the jury in any trial of Wilson would not believe those three.
Certainly the grand jury likewise dismissed those three named witnesses as liars. The grand jury believed only the witnesses who reported that Brown charged a considerable distance (about 17 yards) at Wilson.
MayBee: "Will we learn from this?
I'd guess no."
You'd be guessing wrong. Of course, precisely what is learned will vary radically from individual to individual.
I'm guessing there are some for whom the lesson Must-clamp-down-harder-on-opposing-views is the primary takeaway.
The three named sources -- Johnson, Crenshaw and Mitchell -- told their lies in the mass media and repeated their lies to the grand jury.
Since those lies caused so much damage, the lies should have have been prosecuted as perjury.
That's the public trial that should have been conducted to resolve the controversy properly. Those three should and could have been convicted for perjury.
Sure she's sorry, until next time.
How sad that, until the DOJ report smacked her with the clue bat that it never occurred that the cop might be innocent.
If the Times was sorry, I'd suggest headlines that say, DOJ Finds Wilson Innocent. Hands Up Done Shoot Movement Based on Lies.
Then have some aggressive interviews with celebrities, sports stars and CNN employees about their buying into that lie.
"Now that the Justice Department has cleared Mr. Wilson in an 86-page report that included the testimony of more than 40 witnesses, it’s obvious to me that it was important to get that side of the story into the paper."
Why do I doubt her? Let me count the ways, like the grains of sand thru an hourglass.
"I have some other statements I am also considering retracting, but haven't been given clearance by Eric Holder to do so yet."
My guess is that good black people have more to fear from characters like Mike Brown and Dorian Johnson than they do from officers like Darren Wilson. And there is not a single black citizen of Ferguson or, for that matter, America who can voice this thought out loud.
I believe Dorian Johnson was probably intimidated into lying. He may be a thief, but he at least put some of the cigars back in the store, and he never attacked Wilson. He's a short, slight fellow, dwarfed and cowed by Brown, and in his interviews on the street right after the shooting, as you can see in the videos, he is surrounded by angry thugs who, I believe, put fear in him. One gentle giant even put his arm around him in a "friendly" gesture.
I believe Dorian Johnson was probably intimidated into lying. He may be a thief, but he at least put some of the cigars back in the store, and he never attacked Wilson.
Except, maybe, that he had a lot to lose. The one place that Wilson's and Johnson's stories agreed on, is that Johnson took the cigarellos from Brown, when Brown had part of his body in Wilson's Tahoe and was beating on him. Since this frees up one of Brown's hands, it allowed him to better attack Wilson. And, since grabbing for Wilson's gun aggravated the beating to attempted murder, Johnson was arguably an accomplice to such. My memory is that being an accomplice is one grade lesser as an offense than the actual offense. 1st Degree Murder is a Class A felony, which would put the attempt at Class B, and possibly Johnson being an accomplice (or, maybe you downgrade from the attempted murder by one level, resulting in a Class C felony).
By propagating the false narrative, Johnson was able to make himself too hot to handle, as far as being arrested as an accomplice to the violent felonies committed by Brown. And, indeed, despite essentially admitting culpability, he never has been arrested as an accomplice, or, even of lying to the cops.
"I believe Dorian Johnson was probably intimidated into lying."
Johnson had to lie because he did not actually see the last part of the incident. While Michael Brown was charging about 17 yards toward police officer Darren Wilson, Johnson was hiding inside a Monte Carlo car that was parked along the street.
http://theconservativetreehouse.com/2014/12/04/dorian/
Meanwhile, Piaget Crenshaw (who had met Johnson a month before and had socialized with her frequently during that month) was standing at her apartment window and watching Johnson hiding in the car.
Meanwhile, Tiffany Mitchell was parking her car in a nearby parking lot.
None of those three was watching Wilson and Brown while Brown was charging at Wilson and while Wilson was shooting Brown.
That is why those three had to lie about that happened when they were interviewed by mass media.
The image at this webpage ....
http://i59.tinypic.com/ojeank.jpg
... illustrates Brown's 17-yard charge at Wilson, who retreated about the same distance, shooting in self-defense.
The red cones are Brown's blood drops and the blue cones are Wilson's ejected bullet cartridges.
Johnson, Crenshaw and Mitchell said that Brown did not move forward at all. Brown was shot dead right where he turned around.
That is why the grand jury and the Justice Department dismissed those three sources' statements as false.
The way the electorate splits these days the Democrats need overwhelming black support (It was 93% for Obama in 2014) to win the presidency. There are many good reasons why the majority of African-Americans would support a Democrat but a majority isn't enough, the Democrats need near unanimity. Hyping stories like the "Hands up, don't shoot" myth helps this cause.
The Times was just doing its part.
>>I doubt the media has really learned its lesson. The lie served its purpose; the objective of racial division was accomplished.
The media has really learned its lesson. The lie served its purpose; the objective of racial division was accomplished.
Fixed it. =)
What is truly astonishing is that this woman is the paper's public editor. To simply assume that the identified witnesses were telling the truth while the anonymous ones were lying is simply unbelievable to me. Given the obvious incentives in play, I find it difficult to believe this woman has an IQ above 90.
Now that the Justice Department has cleared Mr. Wilson in an 86-page report that included the testimony of more than 40 witnesses, it’s obvious to me that it was important to get that side of the story into the paper.
No kiddin'.
Translation:
Even the hacks at the DOJ couldn't bend the facts into something less than a full exoneration of the cop, given the physical evidence, the obvious perjury of the most prominent of witnesses, and the courage of other witnesses who told the truth. So, I'll state what's plain as day. I ignored the truth, pushed a lie for a good story and a narrative that suited my politics, regardless of how all that affected the city or the country, criticized other reporters who said what seemed fairly evident, and more. And now, I'd like to be praised for being such a good sport, having both an open mind and a sense of fair play, since being busted in front of the entire planet, I copped to it...sort of, while maintaining "it was a story that had to be told."
Really?
What a load of cr*p. Hoe she doesn't dislocate her shoulder, patting herself on the back.
Look at where the hands up lie started; with Dorian Johnson, who is not only Brown's criminal accomplice but had an outstanding warrant in Jefferson City for (this is just too much to have been left aside in haste or by accident, even in the beginning and let alone right up through the crocodile tears apologies) making a false police report.
Johnson's warrant was reported on local news within a day or so of the shooting, as soon as the Jeff City police saw him on TV telling his hands up version that had the officer reaching out through the window to grab Brown by the neck and toss him around. Even absent Johnson's obvious reasons for a self serving lie and his record of doing the same thing before, his story was not even close to being well crafted or hard to doubt.
The whole fabricated mess was carried credulously forward based on skin color. When a black lies only high regard for the truth would move another black to call it a lie and most whites (in any position to make a difference) don't dare to call it a lie because that would just be racist.
Who will answer for the damage done? I live where I can go and see it any time I want. It is large and most of it is not confined to the charred buildings but fell on the property and lives of mostly local blacks. Nor will it be quickly repaired. The fly byes who did this are back to circling like vultures, looking for the next opportunity.
This reader had such high hopes when Margaret Sullivan took over the Public Editor position in 2012. That position could at least undo some of the daily damage the New York Times doe to the daily civil discourse in this nation.
But Margaret has used the false equivalency argument to the point of utter stupidity. She is a moral midget and I would tell her to her face she is an intellectual idiot as well. So much promise missed because of her knee jerk liberalism.
Mike, I doubt a jury in the world would convict Johnson of being an accomplice simply for reflexively grabbing the cigars from big Mike during the beating. His recorded actions at the convenience store actually show him in a good light. He definitely lied about what happened between Brown and Wilson, and I think the "friendly" support shown in this video helps explain why. https://youtu.be/qQeni0qt8Vo
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