I mentioned earlier how jaded we seem to have become about Donald Trump’s behavior that the latest serious allegation of sexual assault by him brought by author E. Jean Carroll got very little play in the major media, apart from a few brief appearances. However, rising anger over this poor coverage has resulted in more attention being paid and for the Times to apologize for its earlier downplaying of the story.
“I can’t say I know what the correct amount of press coverage for this story should be,” added Jonathan Bernstein in Bloomberg Opinion. “I can say that if the president is a rapist, it should have scream-from-the-mountaintops importance.”
Major newspapers were cautious as well. The story did not appear on the Saturday print front pages of the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal or the Los Angeles Times, which picked up a New York Daily News report on the allegation.
After hearing complaints from readers, New York Times editor in chief Dean Baquet issued a note on Monday saying Carroll’s story “should have been presented more prominently, with a headline on the Times’ home page.”
Samantha Bee took the media to task for not covering this story more extensively and recommends how journalists should treat these stories.
Liberal bias in the media! Liberal bias in the media!
Now that my sarcasm is out of the way, shouldn’t these allegations be taken seriously because, you know, he bragged about sexual assault and stuff?
From outside the USA, accusations of sexual assault by the President of the USA are so common that like mass shootings in the USA they all blend into a bit of a blur.
BTW, I am not joking about the mass shootings. One wakes up in the morning, listens to the news and notes “Oh, anther massacre”. It is horrifying but true.
@ jrkrideau
From inside the US, these things tend to blur a bit as well.
Equally horrifying.
One wonders sometimes if this blurring is very much a strategy — people get exhausted hearing about shooting after shooting after assault after assault. And we go numb. Or feel helpless in our anger. Or both.
@ 3 Timothy
I am not sure.
We have had some horrible attacks in Canada. The shooting in the mosque in Québec (actually I think it was Lévis) or the van attack in northern Toronto.
But so far, I do not think we are inured to them. I hope not.