[View the story "Did mainstream coverage fail Steubenville?" on Storify ]Did mainstream coverage fail Steubenville? Netizens react negatively to media reporting on Ohio rape case. Storified by The Stream · Mon, Mar 18 2013 11:59:46
CNN grieves that guilty verdict ruined 'promising' lives of Steubenville rapistsTheSublimeDegree
Shocking to see @CNN's @PoppyHarlowCNN and @crowleyCNN sympathize with #Steubenville's football players CONVICTED of rape.Sharky
@CNN why do you have article "End rape culture in 2013" focussed on India Case, then perpetuate #rapeculture in USA #steubenville caseTonyC
But CNN was not the only outlet accused of misplacing the focus of its coverage.
Dear @CNN @NBC @CBS @ABC @FOXNEWS - A GIRL WAS RAPED. YOU MAY WANT TO MENTION THAT IN YOUR COVERAGE OF A RAPE TRIAL. #steubenvilleDavid Quilty
NBC News and ABC News were both accused of giving primary importance to the role social media played in the verdict. NBC anchor Lester Holt
stated , "In many ways, tonight stands as a cautionary tale to a generation that has come of age in the era of social networking." The following tweets are in reaction to ABC's social media focus:
In intro her @Nightline piece on #Steubenville, @ElizabethVargas said it's "a cautionary tale for teenagers living in today’s digital world"Lauren Wolfe
#Steubenville case does not illuminate the "dangers" of social media, unless the goal is to produce smarter, more discrete rapists.Jane McManus
Fox News was
condemned for airing the name of the victim.
Despite internet-wide anger towards mainstream media for giving diminished importance to the victim, some Twitterati felt there wasn't enough emphasis on the role 'Jane Doe' allegedly played in the rape. Testimony
revealed the night was filled with heavy drinking.
@JessicaValenti there is never any justification for an act of sexual assault, in this case the victim's conduct made this crime possible.Tyrus Moulder
publicshaming.tumblr.com
publicshaming.tumblr.com
publicshaming.tumblr.com
STAJstream
Others felt that 'Jane Doe' was being victimised for a second time.
Dudes: Believing women should be able to get drunk w/o being raped is not a radical feminist plot - just the expectation of human decency.Jessica Valenti
#Steubenville STOP BLAMING THE VICTIM. Even if a girl drinks and passes out every day, if there was no rapist, there would be no rape.Hannah Le
#Steubenville This victim-blaming should inspire rage in men: it portrays you all as rapists-in-waiting. #travesty #rape #doublestandardTamarind Lemur
