On Sat, Nov 15, 2014 at 3:28 PM, PGage <[email protected]> wrote: > On Sat, Nov 15, 2014 at 3:21 PM, Kevin M. <[email protected]> > wrote: > >> Again, continuing the example of Obama's Kenyan heritage, there are sworn >>> statements from all sorts of people who claim all sorts of things. And a >>> settlement in a civil suit that is by your own admission confidential is >>> evidence of exactly nothing. Rich people settle out of court for lots of >>> reasons having nothing to do with culpability. >>> >> >> I'm not attempting to defend Cosby. If he's guilty, let him hang. But >> he's not being judged on anything close to actual evidence. He's being >> judged because people are weary of him lecturing the black community. I'd >> like to believe the Baldwin brothers are rapists because I'm weary of them, >> but since I have no evidence that they are, I have to settle for merely not >> liking them. >> > > I am honestly not following your logic here. I don't think anyone here has > remotely suggested that Cosby is guilty of the charges, and I have stated > several times that he has not been convicted of any crime. I have seen > commentators who refer to him as a "serial rapist", which is grotesque and > unfounded. But the question here is, is it appropriate for an NPR > journalist to simply ask Mr. Cosby a question about the charges? In my > view, not only is the answer clearly "yes", but anyone aspiring to be > worthy of the description journalist would be badly remiss if they did not > ask the question. >
The logic is as follows. I don't believe asking someone a question based on internet gossip has any connection to being a journalist. I likened it to asking questions about conspiracy theories because at the moment that's all it is. In the case of the one cited op-ed, the person said there were witnesses to verify her claims (agents, drivers, personal assistants, etc) but didn't name them and none of them have come forward. The incident in question occurred decades ago so if true there isn't likely to be a Lewinsky-style dress still hanging around, or again the accuser would put it forward as evidence. Absent witnesses or physical evidence, it remains nothing more than gossip. No self-respecting reporter questions someone based on gossip, and no self-respecting person dignifies such a question with any sort of response. -- Kevin M. (RPCV) -- -- TV or Not TV .... The Smartest (TV) People! You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TV or Not TV" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/tvornottv?hl=en --- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "TVorNotTV" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.
