The Stream

Did mainstream coverage fail Steubenville?

Netizens react negatively to media reporting on Ohio rape case.

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Screenshot of CNN coverage of Steubenville.

 

Two teens were found guilty of raping a 16-year-old girl known as ‘Jane Doe’ on Sunday. The boys, from the US state of Ohio, gained global notoriety after images and video of their crime went viral. The verdict was broadcast immediately on most major media outlets, and criticism of their perceived biases reverberated on social media. Many followed the case using #Steubenville, the name of the small town where the rape occurred.