# Has the media misrepresented the incident with the Covington Cathlic kids? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [January 22, 2019, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210 "2019-01-22T17:23:58Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2019, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/1 "2019-01-22T17:23:58Z")
Basically the media says a group of cathloic high school boys, some wearing MAGA hats, were taunting and making fun of a Aative American. The school is taking alot of grief over this ([Howard Dean wants the school closed](https://twitter.com/GovHowardDean/status/1086869687609290752)). Indeed the [school did close for a day](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/01/22/covington-catholic-high-school-backlash-protests/2642568002/)over security threats. Students have even been given death threats. One [reporter was even fired](https://www.thewrap.com/vulture-writer-on-covington-students-i-just-want-these-people-to-die-simple-as-that/) over doing this. A [writer for SNL](https://www.infowars.com/snl-writer-offers-oral-sex-for-anyone-who-punches-maga-kid/) has offered oral sex for anyone who punches the MAGA hat wearing kid. However maybe the media has gotten it wrong. [HERE](https://reason.com/blog/2019/01/20/covington-catholic-nathan-phillips-video) is one story where they tell the other side of the story. Supposedly their were these group of African activists called Black Hebrews preaching at the same time a schoolgroup of Catholic youth who were attending a nearby right to life rally. Their was also some native american activists in the same area. One of the NA activists decided to walk into the group of youth beating his drum. Most just stepped aside and let him pass except one youth wearing a MAGA hat who just stood there smiling while he beat the drum in his face. [HERE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3EC1_gcr34&feature=youtu.be) is the full video of the entire incident. Warning, its very long. Notice though that at 00:45 a NA activist asks the man to quiet down. Later he Black Hebrews hurl several insults at the youth and many others. I think the media should admit they got it wrong and the catholic boys did nothing wrong. They should also show some admiration for the MAGA wearing youth who kept his cool and was not intimidated by the guy beating the drum in his face. Should the media retract its story? The families of the youth [have threatened a lawsuit](https://pjmedia.com/trending/lawyer-for-covington-catholic-hs-families-threatens-lawsuits-against-media-unless-they-retract-false-stories/). Couldnt they just admit there were more sides to the story? What IS the other side of the story? [HERE](http://www.wave3.com/2019/01/21/covington-catholic-student-incident-indigenous-peoples-march-releases-statement/) is a statement from the student.[HERE](https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=covington+cathloic+incident&view=detail&mid=980BA49FB95C6245CB2A980BA49FB95C6245CB2A&FORM=VIRE)is a video showing the statement from the NA drummer. One media outlet has admitted ["Their are new videos and even more interpretations](https://www.wcpo.com/news/local-news/kenton-county/covington/covington-catholic-incident-in-washington-yields-many-videos-even-more-interpretations)". Fox news is reporting that the[media did show a bias](https://news.yahoo.com/did-media-misrepresent-covington-catholic-111646893.html). You have to admit its not unusual for a media outlet to run a story before learning all the facts. Has it truly got this one wrong? Should they run an apology? ---
**Author:** ![Airbeck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airbeck/32/6574_2.png) [@Airbeck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airbeck)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2019, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/2 "2019-01-22T17:31:47Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > Fox news is reporting that the[media did show a bias](https://news.yahoo.com/did-media-misrepresent-covington-catholic-111646893.html). HAHAHAHAHAHA Oh Fox news reports the “media” showed bias do they? Are you aware that Fox news is part of the media? Would you say Fox news has a bias? I’m reminded of the bible verse about pointing out a mote in someone else’s eye and ignoring the beam in your own. ---
**Author:** ![Airbeck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airbeck/32/6574_2.png) [@Airbeck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airbeck)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2019, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/3 "2019-01-22T17:37:14Z")
Seriously, I was at the gym yesterday and one of the TVs had Tucker Carlson on. It seems like your OP is just a transcript of that nonsense. You just want to be outraged at another outrage. It’s outrage once removed. Isn’t there better things to talk about like, I don’t know, that we don’t have a functioning government right now? Isn’t that more of a pressing issue than OMG SOME LIBS GOT MAD AT SOME MAGA KIDS. So what? Really, so what? ---
**Author:** ![EscAlaMike](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/escalamike/32/4177_2.png) [@EscAlaMike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EscAlaMike)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2019, 5:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/4 "2019-01-22T17:38:16Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > Has it truly got this one wrong? Should they run an apology? [Julie Irwin Zimmerman](https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/01/julie-irwin-zimmerman-i-failed-covington-catholic-test/580897/) of _The Atlantic_ has apologized. I’m not sure if she is considered right or left wing, or neither. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2019, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/5 "2019-01-22T17:43:13Z")
As always, people largely see what they are looking for. Left or right. _Shrug…_ ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2019, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/6 "2019-01-22T17:44:06Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > Basically the media says a group of cathloic high school boys, some wearing MAGA hats, were taunting and making fun of a Aative American. The school is taking alot of grief over this ([Howard Dean wants the school closed](https://twitter.com/GovHowardDean/status/1086869687609290752)). Indeed the [school did close for a day](https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/01/22/covington-catholic-high-school-backlash-protests/2642568002/)over security threats. > > Students have even been given death threats. One [reporter was even fired](https://www.thewrap.com/vulture-writer-on-covington-students-i-just-want-these-people-to-die-simple-as-that/) over doing this. A [writer for SNL](https://www.infowars.com/snl-writer-offers-oral-sex-for-anyone-who-punches-maga-kid/) has offered oral sex for anyone who punches the MAGA hat wearing kid. > > However maybe the media has gotten it wrong. [HERE](https://reason.com/blog/2019/01/20/covington-catholic-nathan-phillips-video) is one story where they tell the other side of the story. > > Supposedly their were these group of African activists called Black Hebrews preaching at the same time a schoolgroup of Catholic youth who were attending a nearby right to life rally. Their was also some native american activists in the same area. One of the NA activists decided to walk into the group of youth beating his drum. Most just stepped aside and let him pass except one youth wearing a MAGA hat who just stood there smiling while he beat the drum in his face. > > [HERE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3EC1_gcr34&feature=youtu.be) is the full video of the entire incident. Warning, its very long. Notice though that at 00:45 a NA activist asks the man to quiet down. Later he Black Hebrews hurl several insults at the youth and many others. > > I think the media should admit they got it wrong and the catholic boys did nothing wrong. They should also show some admiration for the MAGA wearing youth who kept his cool and was not intimidated by the guy beating the drum in his face. > > Should the media retract its story? The families of the youth [have threatened a lawsuit](https://pjmedia.com/trending/lawyer-for-covington-catholic-hs-families-threatens-lawsuits-against-media-unless-they-retract-false-stories/). Couldnt they just admit there were more sides to the story? What IS the other side of the story? [HERE](http://www.wave3.com/2019/01/21/covington-catholic-student-incident-indigenous-peoples-march-releases-statement/) is a statement from the student.[HERE](https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=covington+cathloic+incident&view=detail&mid=980BA49FB95C6245CB2A980BA49FB95C6245CB2A&FORM=VIRE)is a video showing the statement from the NA drummer. > > One media outlet has admitted ["Their are new videos and even more interpretations](https://www.wcpo.com/news/local-news/kenton-county/covington/covington-catholic-incident-in-washington-yields-many-videos-even-more-interpretations)". > Fox news is reporting that the[media did show a bias](https://news.yahoo.com/did-media-misrepresent-covington-catholic-111646893.html). > You have to admit its not unusual for a media outlet to run a story before learning all the facts. Has it truly got this one wrong? Should they run an apology? Not willing to say that there are “good people… on both sides,” eh? ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2019, 5:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/7 "2019-01-22T17:51:07Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > Basically the media says a group of cathloic high school boys, some wearing MAGA hats, were taunting and making fun of a Aative American. > > … > > I think the media should admit they got it wrong and the catholic boys did nothing wrong. I haven’t watched the whole 2 hour video but they were out in public wearing MAGA hats and mocking/jeering at a Native American beating a drum, right? That is a thing that happened? I understand there’s more to the story but I don’t think these kids are shiny pennies. Wearing MAGA hats in public is one step removed from carrying tiki torches and shouting “Jews will not replace us.” Like the confederate flag being an undeniable symbol of racism, you might not want it to be that way, but it is. Doing tomahawk chops and making fun of Native American songs is bad behavior. That said, there’s a lot of shame to go around here. The kids should be shamed, yes, but this is also a much smaller story than anyone needed to make it. Shame on everyone who has made this a 3 day news story. Shame on anyone doxxing teenagers, as obnoxious as they may be. ---
**Author:** ![Pork\_Rind](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pork_rind/32/111_2.png) [@Pork\_Rind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pork_Rind)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2019, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/8 "2019-01-22T17:58:56Z")
I thought this was a useful analysis. [Don’t Doubt What You Saw With Your Own Eyes](https://theconcourse.deadspin.com/dont-doubt-what-you-saw-with-your-own-eyes-1831931203) Short version 'cause mobile: While the original story was a bit overheated, the amount of backpedaling and media attempts to look ‘reasonable’ are a tremendous overreaction and the core of the bad behavior is still there. A friend posted this reaction to this article elsewhere: > [@](#): > > The video embedded in that article seems to tell the clearest story. There were - what? 4? - Black Hebrew Israelite dudes ranting, but never approaching the 50 or so MAGA students. The MAGA students seem to be gradually whipping themselves up for something, like they are at a football game, with all the attendant chanting and posturing. Then Nathan Phillips calmly walks between the two groups, in an obvious effort to de-escalate. The MAGA students surge forward and crowd around Phillips for unknown reasons, quite obviously mocking his drumming and singing. They are crowding into his personal space, aggressively mocking him. If I was Phillips, I would have been terrified. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2019, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/9 "2019-01-22T18:02:51Z")
Let’s go to the quarry and throw stuff down there! “The media”. 😛 “The media should retract”, “the media says”, “the media should admit”. That’s fucking hilarious. Next, let’s talk about “the book publishers” or maybe about “the bands” or even just “the music”. :rolleyes: I’m guessing the OP seemed like a real zinger, a hard-hitting no-nonsense indictment of “the media”… for about 8 minutes, right up until the first replies started to get posted. ---
**Author:** ![Airbeck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airbeck/32/6574_2.png) [@Airbeck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airbeck)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2019, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/10 "2019-01-22T18:06:46Z")
The OP seems like it was straight up taken almost word for word from Tucker Carlson last night. Like I said it was on one of the TVs at the gym last night and I couldn’t help but see how much mileage he was trying to get out of this story. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2019, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/11 "2019-01-22T18:11:35Z")
[A lawyer, Robert Barnes, has offered to represent the kids for free in a libel lawsuit](https://twitter.com/Barnes_Law/status/1086984625711341568). ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2019, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/12 "2019-01-22T18:13:53Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > [HERE](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t3EC1_gcr34&feature=youtu.be) is the full video of the entire incident. Warning, its very long. Notice though that at 00:45 a NA activist asks the man to quiet down. Later he Black Hebrews hurl several insults at the youth and many others. I skimmed it and have three thoughts: 1. I have no fucking clue what’s going on. 2. Notwithstanding #1, it never pays to engage with crazy people. 3. You could hardly find a scarier thing to Fox News viewers than crazy black guys. ETA: and a fourth thing: two hours of video in portrait mode should be considered a war crime. ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2019, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/13 "2019-01-22T18:14:34Z")
> [@Pork\_Rind](#): > > Short version 'cause mobile: While the original story was a bit overheated, the amount of backpedaling and media attempts to look ‘reasonable’ are a tremendous overreaction and the core of the bad behavior is still there. “a bit overheated” = the understatement of the century. Like saying that Hurricane Harvery dumped a bit of rain on Texas. The liberal media, celebrities, politicians, and online personalities ran a massive propaganda campaign trying to shower the innocent teenagers with death threats, hate mail, and “doxing”. The entire episode was based on [blatant lies](https://www.nationalreview.com/2019/01/nathan-phillips-lied-the-media-bought-it/). I’m glad to hear that one writer from the Atlantic has written a lengthy apology for what she said about the matter but I don’t expect to see any apologies from the thousands of other people who should be offering them. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2019, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/14 "2019-01-22T18:18:01Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > [A lawyer, Robert Barnes, has offered to represent the kids for free in a libel lawsuit](https://twitter.com/Barnes_Law/status/1086984625711341568). Okay, then. Problem solved. ---
**Author:** ![Airbeck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airbeck/32/6574_2.png) [@Airbeck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airbeck)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2019, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/15 "2019-01-22T18:18:35Z")
> [@ITR\_champion](#): > > The liberal media, celebrities, politicians, and online personalities ran a massive propaganda campaign trying to shower the innocent teenagers with death threats, hate mail, and “doxing”. Can you let me know when the meetings happen when these propaganda campaigns are planned by liberal media, celebrities, politicians and online personalities? I feel like I’m out of the loop and want to be included. Surely it must be easy to locate when all these people are showing up to discuss how to destroy America. ---
**Author:** ![MrKnowItAll](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mrknowitall/32/87_2.png) [@MrKnowItAll](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrKnowItAll)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2019, 6:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/16 "2019-01-22T18:22:51Z")
This is something that demonstrates the failure of very simple ethics; namely the idea that if there is a bad guy, there must be a good guy. IMHO, this whole incident was losers all the way down. As for the media? Well if you include viral videos on the internet, then yes the media got it wrong from the start. However, that does not mean the kids are blameless. They reacted very poorly to the situation, effectively fanning the flames by reacting to outsiders so strongly. There’s so much back-pedaling on this story now that I doubt the kids will get any real backlash from it at all, and that’s too bad. Things have gotten to the point that they truly believe themselves to be totally the victims, and will never be held accountable for their part in the escalation of those events. ---
**Author:** ![ITR\_champion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c67d28/32.png) [@ITR\_champion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ITR_champion)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2019, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/17 "2019-01-22T18:30:52Z")
> [@Airbeck](#): > > Can you let me know when the meetings happen when these propaganda campaigns are planned by liberal media, celebrities, politicians and online personalities? I feel like I’m out of the loop and want to be included. Surely it must be easy to locate when all these people are showing up to discuss how to destroy America. I never mentioned any meetings. The word “meeting” does not appear in my post, a fact which is plainly visible to anyone who reads it. ---
**Author:** ![Airbeck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/airbeck/32/6574_2.png) [@Airbeck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airbeck)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2019, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/18 "2019-01-22T18:33:49Z")
> [@ITR\_champion](#): > > I never mentioned any meetings. The word “meeting” does not appear in my post, a fact which is plainly visible to anyone who reads it. You said: “The liberal media, celebrities, politicians, and online personalities ran a massive propaganda campaign trying to shower the innocent teenagers with death threats, hate mail, and “doxing”” How did this large group of people manage to run a propaganda campaign together without any sort of meeting to plan it? They just all simultaneously had the same plan in their heads at the same time like some sort of miracle? I’m just trying to figure out how this conspiracy is supposed to work. ---
**Author:** ![HurricaneDitka](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HurricaneDitka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HurricaneDitka)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2019, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/19 "2019-01-22T18:35:01Z")
> [@MrKnowItAll](#): > > … There’s so much back-pedaling on this story now that I doubt the kids will get any real backlash from it at all, and that’s too bad. Things have gotten to the point that they truly believe themselves to be totally the victims, and will never be held accountable for their part in the escalation of those events. Do you feel that the other parties involved should also get “real backlash from it all” / “be held accountable for their part in the escalation of those events”? Or is that sort of punishment you’d prefer to see reserved exclusively for the white male(s)? ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2019, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/20 "2019-01-22T18:40:37Z")
> [@ITR\_champion](#): > > “a bit overheated” = the understatement of the century. Like saying that Hurricane Harvery dumped a bit of rain on Texas. The liberal media, celebrities, politicians, and online personalities ran a massive propaganda campaign trying to shower the innocent teenagers with death threats, hate mail, and “doxing”. The entire episode was based on [blatant lies](https://www.nationalreview.com/2019/01/nathan-phillips-lied-the-media-bought-it/). I’m glad to hear that one writer from the Atlantic has written a lengthy apology for what she said about the matter but I don’t expect to see any apologies from the thousands of other people who should be offering them. Did you happen to notice any propaganda from the other side of the fence, perchance? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210.md?page=2)