# 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:** 2
**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, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/21 "2019-01-22T18:41:56Z")
Can you point out anyone that has suggested that consequences for bad actions be exclusively enforced on white males? Has anyone at all said that all other genders and races should be exempt from consequences? Smells a lot like straw all of a sudden… ---
**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, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/22 "2019-01-22T18:43:11Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > 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)? How much blame do you think each of the three parties should share? ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2019, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/23 "2019-01-22T18:47:30Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > Not willing to say that there are “good people… on both sides,” eh? The lame stream media is the lame stream media. The lame stream media’s coverage, and handling, of this world-shaking-mega story only serves to undermine the credibility of the lame stream media. Without verify the story, without doing any more research than reading internet rumors/claims/horseshit, without any attempt to provide unbiased, actual news, many in the lame stream media jumped at the chance to bolster their ratings, increase advertising dollars, and/or advance their own careers, by attacking a teenager whos only crime was standing, and not moving or talking, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. Shame on the lame stream media, and on those who advocate for their biased reporting, and commentary. ---
**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, 6:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/24 "2019-01-22T18:56:07Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > The lame stream media is the lame stream media. The lame stream media’s coverage, and handling, of this world-shaking-mega story only serves to undermine the credibility of the lame stream media. > > Without verify the story, without doing any more research than reading internet rumors/claims/horseshit, without any attempt to provide unbiased, actual news, many in the lame stream media jumped at the chance to bolster their ratings, increase advertising dollars, and/or advance their own careers, by attacking a teenager whos only crime was standing, and not moving or talking, on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. > > Shame on the lame stream media, and on those who advocate for their biased reporting, and commentary. “Lame stream media”-five times in one post. :rolleyes: ---
**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, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/25 "2019-01-22T19:19:37Z")
The social justice mob seems to be in full-scale retreat on this: > [@](#): > > … Recode editor and New York Times contributing op-ed writer Kara Swisher, for instance, deleted one tweet saying she was thinking of “finding every one of these shitty kids and giving them a very large piece of my mind,” and other tweets throwing slurs like “Nazi” and “nationalist.” Sinclair chief political correspondent Scott Thurman deleted a tweet alleging students in MAGA hats were “mocking” and “taunting” a Native American in front of the Lincoln Memorial in D.C., asking in a new tweet if the new video changed minds about the kids. > > Anti-Trump activist Ed Krassenstein deleted a neutral tweet contemplating the intentions of Nick Sandmann, the young MAGA student accused of smirking at a Native American. His brother, Brian Krassenstein, deleted a tweet calling the students “bigoted.” CNN’s Bakari Sellers deleted a tweet suggesting the kids should be “punched in the face.” > > Hollywood’s Patton Oswalt deleted a tweet linking to a critical thread that didn’t go so far as doxx the teens but identified alleged culture problems at the school. Oswalt did leave up subsequent retweets maintaining his opinion that they were at fault. > > CNN’s Ana Navarro deleted a tweet calling out the “Asswipe” parents of the students for teaching them “bigotry” and “racism.” She tweeted an additional post with the full, unedited video of the teens, maintaining her support for Native American vet Nathan Phillips. … [source](https://www.mediaite.com/online/journalists-and-celebs-rush-to-delete-tweets-slamming-maga-hat-kids/) ---
**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, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/26 "2019-01-22T19:23:10Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > “Lame stream media”-five times in one post. > :rolleyes: Only? He must be slipping. ---
**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, 7:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/27 "2019-01-22T19:26:45Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > The social justice mob seems to be in full-scale retreat on this: > > [source](https://www.mediaite.com/online/journalists-and-celebs-rush-to-delete-tweets-slamming-maga-hat-kids/) Anything to say about [media manipulation from the other side?](https://theslot.jezebel.com/covington-catholic-student-hired-pr-firm-co-founded-by-1831948833) ---
**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, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/28 "2019-01-22T19:28:40Z")
> [@Airbeck](#): > > Can you point out anyone that has suggested that consequences for bad actions be exclusively enforced on white males? Has anyone at all said that all other genders and races should be exempt from consequences? Smells a lot like straw all of a sudden… No, which is why I have not claimed anyone has. A poster mentioned “that’s too bad” that the white males involved in the incident probably won’t “get any real backlash from it at all”. He was silent on what fate he’d prefer for the other parties involved, which is why I asked. ---
**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, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/29 "2019-01-22T19:29:40Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > How much blame do you think each of the three parties should share? From what I can gather the other two parties deserve a majority of the blame. ---
**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, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/30 "2019-01-22T19:32:05Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Anything to say about [media manipulation from the other side?](https://theslot.jezebel.com/covington-catholic-student-hired-pr-firm-co-founded-by-1831948833) People on the bottom of the victim hierarchy are smart to get any help they can when confronting hostile media. ---
**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, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/31 "2019-01-22T19:37:10Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > People on the bottom of the victim hierarchy are smart to get any help they can when confronting hostile media. Uh, this sounds like you’re saying white people need more help in telling their story to America? Please correct me if I’m reading that wrong. > [@](#): > > The social justice mob seems to be in full-scale retreat on this: There’s nothing wrong with admitting error. I wish President Trump and his supporters would show more humility in the face of facts. ---
**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, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/32 "2019-01-22T19:46:23Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > People on the bottom of the victim hierarchy are smart to get any help they can when confronting hostile media. Asking this again: Did you happen to notice any propaganda from the other side of the fence? And what the fuck is this “People on the bottom of the victim hierarchy” nonsense? Those students in the MAGA hats from the private school that got bused in to harass women, got a right-wing publicity hack with ties to a powerful Republican congresscritter, and have been invited to the White House to be praised by the President are victims? You _do_ know what a “victim” is, don’t you? ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2019, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/33 "2019-01-22T19:47:23Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > 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? From their POV, they didn’t get anything wrong. Some of the kids were wearing MAGA hats, and they were at an anti-abortion rally. Therefore, they were wrong, they were doing wrong, and whatever happened, it was their fault. It is something like the Duke lacrosse case, or the Bush National Guard memos, or many of the hate crime hoaxes. It almost doesn’t matter whether the actual facts are correct or not - what matters is the larger narrative. Ms. Magnum lied. That doesn’t matter, as much as the narrative that black women are treated like whores. The memos were faked. That doesn’t matter as much as Bush should never have become President. Etc. Whatever bad happened to the kids, they deserved it. Including being lied about in the media. Four legs good, two legs bad. What difference does it make if it’s three legs, six legs, or no legs? Regards, Shodan ---
**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, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/34 "2019-01-22T19:49:06Z")
And Mexico is going to pay for that wall :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![doorhinge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a5b964/32.png) [@doorhinge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/doorhinge)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2019, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/35 "2019-01-22T19:49:20Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > “Lame stream media”-five times in one post. > :rolleyes: Perhaps you prefer pronouns? I’ll add your concern to my list of things that I may get around to eventually considering. Somewhere near the top, I think. ---
**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, 7:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/36 "2019-01-22T19:50:25Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > From their POV, they didn’t get anything wrong. Some of the kids were wearing MAGA hats, and they were at an anti-abortion rally. Therefore, they were wrong, they were doing wrong, and whatever happened, it was their fault. > > It is something like the Duke lacrosse case, or the Bush National Guard memos, or many of the hate crime hoaxes. It almost doesn’t matter whether the actual facts are correct or not - what matters is the larger narrative. > > Ms. Magnum lied. That doesn’t matter, as much as the narrative that black women are treated like whores. The memos were faked. That doesn’t matter as much as Bush should never have become President. Etc. > > Whatever bad happened to the kids, they deserved it. Including being lied about in the media. > > Four legs good, two legs bad. What difference does it make if it’s three legs, six legs, or no legs? > > Regards, > Shodan Your narrative has no legs. No legs bad in this case. ---
**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, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/37 "2019-01-22T19:53:50Z")
> [@Ravenman](#): > > Uh, this sounds like you’re saying white people need more help in telling their story to America? Please correct me if I’m reading that wrong. … No, you’re pretty much reading it right. I believe there are certainly times when some “white people need more help in telling their story to America”. For example, the Duke lacrosse team benefited significantly by seeking savvy assistance in the face of hostile media (and government agents). > [@Ravenman](#): > > … There’s nothing wrong with admitting error. … Agreed, although just deleting tweets is about the most cowardly non-admission way of “admitting error” I can imagine. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2019, 7:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/38 "2019-01-22T19:56:41Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > 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. Thank you for saying something I’ve been hesitant to say myself, because I agree. It’s NOT a worldwide, multi-day 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, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/39 "2019-01-22T19:57:11Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Asking this again: Did you happen to notice any propaganda from the other side of the fence? … I don’t have a specific example in mind at the moment, but I don’t doubt there is propaganda to be found on both sides of this issue. > [@Czarcasm](#): > > … And what the fuck is this “People on the bottom of the victim hierarchy” nonsense? Those students in the MAGA hats from the private school that got bused in to harass women, got a right-wing publicity hack with ties to a powerful Republican congresscritter, and have been invited to the White House to be praised by the President are victims? … Yes, and rather unsympathetic ones (as you’ve noted), which is why I described them as “on the bottom of the victim hierarchy”. ---
**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, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/40 "2019-01-22T20:02:22Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > I don’t have a specific example in mind at the moment, but I don’t doubt there is propaganda to be found on both sides of this issue. > Yes, and rather unsympathetic ones (as you’ve noted), which is why I described them as “on the bottom of the victim hierarchy”. Pray, tell us which groups you think are at the top of this “victim hierarchy”. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210.md?page=3)