Loyal readers of MOPNS know that we have always been a little suspect of “Baghdad” Tony Messenger’s reporting skills. But who are we? We’re just a bunch of bloggers in our pajamas giving our humble opinions! Well it seems a fellow colleague is calling “Baghdad” out on his often careless reporting, in particular, his choice of words while reporting on the recent Muschany trial. Mssourinet reporter Steve Walsh wrote this Saturday on their blog:
“What I found troubling was that in several reports the teenager who claimed she had been sexually assaulted was referred to as “the victim.” Was the teenager a victim … or merely an “accuser?” Keep in mind the jury determined the evidence did not support the young accuser’s claim she had been victimized by Muschany.
Any American has the right to second guess a jury, but reporters – while on the job – must leave it to the jury to determine who is, indeed, a victim.”
Tony Messenger imparting his opinion into a story and then reporting it as fact???? Say it ain’t so!!!!!!
0 responses so far ↓
1 Paul Ground // Mar 23, 2009 at 11:49 am
After reading the article in Sunday’s Post about Muschany’s acquittal, I had to share a couple of thoughts.
I know St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Bob McCulloch; he’s is a likeable fellow and probably an above average lawyer. But I don’t think Bob spends a lot of time pondering things that are intellectually deep, nor have I ever witnessed an indication of his capacity to do so.
It was Bob, along with a couple of cohorts in comedy, who last fall, during the campaign, instituted a “truth squad” to make sure no one lied about candidate Obama. Part of the comedy arose from the fact that a presidential candidate never breathed who got gentle treatment from the media to the degree or with the consistency that Obama did.
Now comes the trial and acquittal of a former Republican legislator. The State’s case was so weak that the defense didn’t even introduce any evidence, and the outcome was acquittal.
Bob’s proven proclivity for political persecution of his opponents, taken together with this obviously gravely flawed prosecution of a Republican state representative, do lead one to wonder whether the prosecutor is still able to fulfill the appropriate role and duties of his office, or whether his authority has gone to his head, and he’s regressed into a sort of brown-shirt vigilante out to purify St. Louis County from dangerous moderate and conservative political views.
2 Rick Brown // Mar 23, 2009 at 4:00 pm
Paul, I’m not following your point at all. The Muschany case was prosecuted by the office of the Cole County Prosecuting Attorney, Republican Mark Richardson.
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