Monthly Archives: September 2016

Turner is criminal, not swimmer

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By ANNETTE REID

As of last Friday, Brock Turner is a free man. Turner was sentenced for six months after being convicted of raping a fellow Stanford student on Jan. 18, 2015, outside a fraternity house. He has since had to register has a sex offender in his home state of Ohio since his release.

Throughout the trial and the news of his early release from prison due to “good behavior” the media has went about referring to Brock Turner has a “former Stanford swimmer” in their headlines before acknowledging that he is first and foremost a rapist.

In a society where campus sexual assault is still not being recognized as a serious issue, this just perpetuates the problem. When the news media refer to Turner’s athletic career before they acknowledge that he is a rapist that does not help the with the severity of the real issue.

The real issue is that college campus sexual assault is a real problem and that it happens all over the United States. In most cases when women or men report that they were raped nothing ever happens. Their case gets ignored and if they do have their case looked at the college hardly protects the victim. The attacker is allowed to roam the campus without any punishment.

In the news media, the attacker is focused on for who they are and not what they did. This is what happened with the Brock Turner case. In order for things to change rapist like Turner must be referred for what they are so campus rape culture changes.

NFL debuts with Super Bowl rematch

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By NICHOLAS BRUENS

The Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers faced off at the NFL Kick Off in a rematch of Super Bowl 50.

This game was much anticipated as these teams played a gritty, grind-it-out game in the Super Bowl.  Many were expecting a similar game in the rematch.  But despite these anticipations, quarterback Cam Newton did not share these feelings.

“It’s not a rematch,” Newton told the Associated Press, “It’s just our next opponent.”

Despite Newton’s feelings, he played the Broncos, the same team that beat him for the Lombardi trophy, on NBC in Primetime.

The high amount news media attention drawn to this event was expected due to the importance of this game.  It marks the beginning of the 2016 season of the NFL which is the highest grossing professional sports league in the United States.

Also, the game features Newton, who is arguably the most marketable player in the league and reigning MVP.  A player of his charisma is bound to draw attention and therefore media.

Finally, media was tuned in to see if any players would partake in the Colin Kaepernick’s demonstration of not standing for the American flag. Linebacker Brandon Marshall was the only player to do so.

The Broncos released a statement acknowledging there stance on the matter.

“While we encourage members of our organization to stand during the national anthem, we understand and respect it being a personal decision,” said the Broncos in their statement to NBC.

The multiple personalities and story lines heading into his game have created a perfect melting pot for media follow.

Cam and the Panthers were unable to change the outcome as the Broncos repeated their success with a 21-20 victory.

Turner case highlights racial issues

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By NYAH TENNELL

Twenty-year-old Brock Turner, a former swimmer at Stanford University was arrested Jan. 18, 2015, after two graduate students discovered him on top of an unconscious woman outside Kappa Alpha fraternity at approximately 1 a.m.

Following the incident, Turner withdrew from Stanford and was found guilty of three felony charges: assault with intent to commit rape of an intoxicated or unconscious person, sexual penetration of an intoxicated person and sexual penetration of an unconscious person.

The maximum sentence for his crimes are 14 years in the state of California.

However, Turner got off with a mere six-month sentence, only serving three, under a California law that gives credit for time served.

Well, Judge Aaron Persky, you’ve officially set yet another standard for white-privilege and legal precedent.

Given Turner’s circumstance, he is no “true” criminal, right?

The seriousness and severity of rape should never be taken lightly or handled with leniency. Not only does it mock the pain and suffering experienced by the victim, light sentences and leniency for privileged individuals sets a precedent for the continuation of injustices.

Would the news media response have made more of a difference if Turner was black, or if it was a black judge deciding the same ruling?

Turner is no victim of college-drinking culture, America’s political and social constructs or social pressures.Turner is a felon, who has been let off by the hands of biased judging and white-washed, misogynistic loopholes in our justice system.

It is disturbing that some media outlets have cast Turner to be the victim of a broken system.

For example, a Sept. 4 CNN article written by Emanuella Grinberg and Janette Gagon is slightly misfocused in my opinion, and does too much work making the case that Turner is an athlete, and that it is not unusual for someone with a strong athletic and academic background to be sentenced leniently, if sentenced at all.

Although that assertion is probably true, the media as a whole tends to flee from topics of race.

Yet, this is white-privilege at its finest, and should be called as such.

Too much justification, too many excuses, and not enough sympathy and advocacy for victims of sexual assault and rape feed into the system and culture surrounding this very issue itself.

Large media corporations and conglomerates, like CNN, should not just report the news and statistics; they should speak out against unjust social constructs and unfairly punished injustices.

These media corporations help influence the beliefs and understanding of our community, and if more was done, the case could have possibly been overturned.

However, the case did get a generous response from many notable figures and outlets showing their advocacy for victims of sexual assault, and speaking out against the current culture.

The cast of HBO’s Girls created a brilliant message, entitled Why We’re So Quick To Disbelieve, in an effort to combat efforts to attack victim testimony in these cases.

USA swimming banned Turner for life and released the statement, “USA Swimming condemns the crime and actions committed by Brock Turner, and all acts of sexual misconduct,” USA Swimming spokesman Scott Leightman told ABC News. “Brock Turner is not a member of USA Swimming and, should he apply, he would not be eligible for membership.

Last but not least, as a result of the media outcry, California has moved to set a minimum amount of time to be served in sexual assault cases.

I truly hope that this case serves to set the stage for a movement towards more victim advocacy and support versus simple storytelling.

Media outlets should stand by victims of injustice with confidence and solidarity, without fear of being “biased,” actively seeking justice on the behalf of deserving survivors.

Shooting headline made ‘unique’

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By COURTNEY CHENNAULT

On Thursday, Sept. 8, 2016, a shooting at Alpine High School in Texas left one dead and two injured. Sadly, shootings in America have become so commonplace, that people aren’t surprised and hardly bat an eye when one occurs.

For a news network like CNN, which survives on viewership and popularity, that fact is somewhat problematic. The news media must determine how to recapture America’s interest in shootings or else there is no point in reporting them at all.

In an attempt to catch the public’s eye today, CNN chose to sensationalize the Texas shooting by emphasizing one main aspect.

The headline reads:

screen-shot-2016-09-08-at-10-03-32-pmWhen I first read this headline, one word leaped off the screen: “girl.” “Girl shooter?” I thought to myself. Since when do we identify shooters by their gender in headlines?

Other headlines rarely have the shooter’s gender.

For example, this Jul. 9, 2016 CNN headline reads, “Dallas sniper attack: 5 officers killed, suspect identified.” There is no gender stated.

A Jul. 25, 2016 CNN headline reads, “Fort Myers shooting: 2 dead outside teen party at club.” There is no gender stated.

Even the word “gunman” is ambiguous without clarification. For example, in a Dec. 5, 2015 CNN broadcast, the reporter referred to the shooter as “the female gunman,” to clarify her gender.

In a country where hundreds of shootings happen every year, it is easy for citizens to read the headlines monotonously. But, this shouldn’t be the case. A shooting should get someone’s attention not because the shooter is a female, but because the shooting happened at all.

Today’s headline should have been just as devastating and shocking without the word “girl” in it.

Brock Turner’s ‘welcome home’

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By AMY TAINTOR

Brock Turner, former Stanford University swimmer and convicted rapist, has been released from county jail after serving just three months of his six month sentence.

Many people have expressed outrage and hate toward the 21–year-old who was given an easy sentence (you can thank Judge Aaron Persky for that). However, his small Ohio hometown isn’t letting him forget about the horrific crime he committed.

As Turner returned home to Green County, Ohio, his street had been lined with angry protesters who held signs that said things like, “If I rape Brock Turner will I only get three months?” and “Protect survivors, not rapists.”

According to CNN, County Sheriff Laurie Smith isn’t happy about the rapist’s short sentence.

“He should be in prison right now, but he’s not in our custody,” Smith told reporters outside the county jail.

Turner’s easy sentence was just the start of a tough life he will live, the life he deserves. He was required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life.

He is not permitted to live within 1,000 feet of a school or playground and a letter to notify neighbors within 1,250 feet of his home will be sent out.

As a huge portion of the United States focuses on the awful assault this college boy committed, an equally large portion continues to reach out and send strength to his victim, who remains unnamed.

His victim has shown strength since Turner’s trial, and issued a very powerfully written letter to her rapist, the jury and most importantly the rest of the world.

You can read the letter on CNN’s website. You might need a box of tissues, though. http://www.cnn.com/2016/09/02/us/brock-turner-release-jail/

Cold case or today’s news?

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By ELIZABETH GELBAUGH

Declaring missing Cal Poly San Luis Obispo student Kristin Denise Smart dead 14 years ago after her 1996 disappearance, the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff’s Department, along with the FBI, reopened her case Tuesday.

After receiving a tip relating to Smart’s disappearance, authorities once again plunged head first into the investigation. Investigators have pinpointed three spots around campus, where she was last seen alive, that they plan to dig up in an effort to find her body.

The news media coverage of this case poses an interesting question: What is the fascination with reopening cold cases?

Anyone who has ever waited in line at the supermarket has seen it. Whenever a case goes cold, media are determined to continue reporting and updating stories. Tabloids and newspapers release articles and updates about the JonBenét Ramsey case all the time, despite her disappearance occurring almost 20 years ago.

So who is at fault: the news media or news consumers? If no one was buying the tabloids featuring cold cases with so-called new evidence and insider scoops, the media would have no choice but to cease reporting on them.

So this places fault on consumers who eat up that type of news and sensational stories. But, then again, aren’t they simply reading what the media put out there?

It’s only human to strive to find answers and receive closure, especially when it comes to losing a loved one. But when does reopening a cold case go from a burning desire to find answers and keep up to date on the latest gossip to pouring salt in a wound that was finally close to healing?

Perhaps, rather than drawing attention to old news, media should live in the now and keep things as current as possible. Not only would this give families the opportunity to grieve in private, but it would also inform the public about current rather than past events.