Chicago Sun-Times writer Greg Crouch asks in his column today whether ESPN personality Dana Jacobson really did say the offensive words attributed to her that resulted in a one-week suspension. (See story below.)
That’s a good question. Crouch points out that the original report of Jacobson specifically saying "F— Jesus" came from a blog and has not been confirmed by a particular eyewitness at the event, Scott Cronick of the Press of Atlantic City, whom Couch asked about it yesterday. Cronick said that he does not believe she said "F— Jesus."
Couch’s point is that mainstream journalists should not quote information from blogs because bloggers are not responsible journalists and not reliable news sources. Real journalists—which Couch appears to define as people working for corporate newspapers, magazines, TV shows, radio stations, and websites—check their facts and are "reliable."
If I ever see any responsible journalism in the mainstream media, I’ll check on that contention.
Remember that it was the mainstream media that convicted the Duke lacrosse players accused of rape, and it was web journalists such as I who argued from the beginning that the case was an obvious frame-up. We were right, and they were wrong.
To be sure, Couch agrees that if Jacobson really did say what she is accused of saying, she should be fired, not just suspended. In addition, he recognizes that the evidence strongly suggests she said something so offensive that her bosses don’t want it confirmed, and that it probably was exactly what has been reported:
ESPN has a tape of the event. [Christian Defense Coalition director, the Rev. Patrick J.] Mahoney said he spoke with an ESPN executive who didn’t deny that Jacobson had said it and wouldn’t show the tape. So, Mahoney said, responsibility is on ESPN.
I respect Mahoney’s passion, but his ground is shaky. It is not becoming of a reverend to make an example of someone who might be innocent.
That said, ESPN isn’t handling this right, either. Why not show the tape? Jacobson’s apology did say, ”I respect all religions.”
Why would she say that? It is suspicious, when neither ESPN nor Jacobson will stand up and deny the rumors. ESPN spokesman Josh Krulewitz wouldn’t hand the tape over to me, either. Why?
Why, indeed? Perhaps the web reports were more reliable than Couch wishes to admit. Couch is right to point out that no one has been identified as actually having been at the event and willing to confirm that Jacobson actually said the offending words.
Yet ESPN has a tape and could easily end the discussion if she is indeed innocent of the charge.
Unless Jacobson’s bosses deny that she did it and come forward with exculpatory evidence, it is certainly reasonable to believe that the rumors are true.
Good point, Pascal. You’ll note that I alluded in this post to your suggested possibility that there is something else offensive on the tape that has not yet been reported, either in addition to or instead of what has been reported: “he recognizes that the evidence strongly suggests she said something so offensive that her bosses don’t want it confirmed.”
I wouldn’t call for ESPN to release the tape publicly, for the reasons you give, but I should think it perfectly reasonable to expect them to show it privately to a few outside observers if it would serve to exonerate Ms. Jacobson. Certainly that option would have occurred to them if there were nothing very bad on the tape.
But then they wouldn’t have suspended her, would they?
And unlike Don Imus and Tim Hardaway, she was not fired. And unlike the Muslim opponents of Geert Wilders and Theo Van Gogh, Christians aren’t calling for her death and haven’t tried to kill her.
The point is that identity politics is stupid and wrong, and if Jacobson should skate, then those who say other offensive things should skate as well.
And then where would it all end? If you think people are too freely offensive now, what happens when there are no taboos left?
As I’ve said before on this site, instead of judging people’s actions on the basis of whom they hurt, we should judge them on the basis of how much they hurt, whomever they may hurt.
That’s the real issue here.
This raises an interesting issue.
As it stands, the holding of the tape increases suspicion.
Nobody suspects that the release of that tape would do anything but confirm suspicions.
Certainly not Ms Jacobson who might use it to defend herself if the alleged words are absent.
Of course there could be other things she did or said that would be damaging to her. So, in any case, it seems she has accepted her suspension.
But if purists insist on the release of the tape, who will it serve well?
It will play well to the entertainment of some types of people and further serve to diminish Christianity and will encourage copycat behavior. The purists will have succeeded in demanding that MSM broadcast a bad thing, and they will claim they didn’t want to do it. With glee no doubt. Kinda like Brer Rabbit screaming that whatever you do, PLEASE don’t throw me in that briar patch. Or like a whole generation of young schoolchildren learning what oral sex was not from sex education, but mostly from talk radio blasting Clinton.
You know of my induced behavior theory. Insistence by the offended parties that ESPN release the tape will demonstrate bad behavior that will induce more of it, not less, in some small segment of our society.
I have little doubt the release of that tape will delight all the wrong people.