Yahoo News published a story written by a reporter in Jena whose wife is a teacher at Jena High School. Needless to say, it differs a great deal from other media reports, including a certain local publication which saw fit to send one of its reporters to cover the events in Jena.
"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 real story of Jena and the Jena 6 is quite different from what the national media presented. It's time to set the record straight.....
These are just 12 of many myths that are portrayed as fact in the media concerning the Jena cases. (A more thorough review of all events can be found at www.thejenatimes.net – click on Chronological Order of Events.) "
http://news.yahoo.com/s/csm/20071024/cm_csm/yfranklin_1
Related posts on Jena 6:
http://kingfish1935.blogspot.com/2007/10/nice-to-see-media-is-catching-up-with.html
http://kingfish1935.blogspot.com/2007/10/beat-student-up-get-red-carpet.html
http://kingfish1935.blogspot.com/2007/10/advocacy-journalism-or-worse.html
http://kingfish1935.blogspot.com/2007/09/what-is-truth-here-thugs-or-theologians.html
If you want to have some real fun, compare these posts and the story above to the coverage by a certain local alternative weekly newspaper.
4 comments:
'Fish, Jena is a town of 3,000. Near as I can tell, the town newspaper is written by Sammy Franklin and his son Craig. If I were looking for a publication with the greatest reason to have personal views on the issue and the least ability to cover the event objectively, the Jena Times would be on my shortlist. No offense to any of its hardworking staff intended, but I've been to churches that had more than 3,000 members and newsletters that were written by more people, and I would not put them on par with major national or regional papers.
Certainly there are some things that various media outlets are getting wrong about the case. But the Jena Times chronology should be taken as one local person's opinion. No more, no less.
Do you have any proof that they are racists?
How Laddesque. Lets ignore the people who actually live there and pay more attention to some ivory tower reporter back in New York City or Atlanta.
Most of everything I have read in his storoy I have seen corroborated elsewhere. Bell's criminal record is a fact. Even his father admitted it. The Town Talk of Alexandria has corroborated most of this story as well. You going to tell me that that is too small a newspaper for you?
If you are going to say that you don't believe that story or question its credibility, then state some evidence as to why.
And yes I'm being a little bit harsh because I think you are better than that.
Easy, 'Fish. I never said they were racists.
But if your wife were a teacher at Jena High School, you grew up in the town, and you had a vested interest in everything staying peaceful, wouldn't that constitute an obvious conflict of interest? Think back on Mary Lou Webb and the Franklin Advocate pleading for the government not to reopen the Dee/Moore slayings case.
The Alexandria paper's collaboration is relevant. Fact-by-fact, the chronology may even be accurate. But I don't recommend swallowing it whole without corroborating it.
"collaboration is relevant" --> "corroboration is relevant"
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