# 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:** 6
**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, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/101 "2019-01-22T23:08:59Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > I don’t believe there were any death threats and the school closed itself. So what’s the problem? I believe you are mistaken (about the death threats). > [@](#): > > … There have been death threats, local officials say, and fears that large demonstrations could descend on Covington Catholic High School, upending life around this town of 40,000 just south of Cincinnati. > > In light of security concerns, Covington Catholic shut down Tuesday… [WaPo - Death threats and protests: Kentucky town reels from fallout over Lincoln Memorial face-off](https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/death-threats-and-protest-kentucky-town-reels-from-fallout-over-lincoln-memorial-face-off/2019/01/22/dfefef74-1e63-11e9-9145-3f74070bbdb9_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.d153439cee15) > [@](#): > > … That still would not justify the death threats he’s been receiving. It would not justify the harassment of the other Covington Catholic student who wasn’t even in Washington, D.C., but who was falsely identified as the smirker by some social-media users. Online vigilantes unearthed his parents’ address and peppered his family with threats all weekend long, even as they were trying to celebrate a family wedding, accusing them of raising a racist and promising to harm their family business. … [The Atlantic](https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2019/01/julie-irwin-zimmerman-i-failed-covington-catholic-test/580897/?fbclid=IwAR2rg45by3PhppjYjxfVh683n8mfvNuPVs6HsSczbb9w5PU5Cw0uPKX2TzU) ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2019, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/102 "2019-01-22T23:14:12Z")
> [@HurricaneDitka](#): > > I believe you are mistaken (about the death threats). > > [WaPo - Death threats and protests: Kentucky town reels from fallout over Lincoln Memorial face-off](https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/death-threats-and-protest-kentucky-town-reels-from-fallout-over-lincoln-memorial-face-off/2019/01/22/dfefef74-1e63-11e9-9145-3f74070bbdb9_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.d153439cee15) Let me take a firm stand and declare that no one should kill these kids, or threaten to kill them. Someday, not to long from now, they will look back at their choice of headgear and be profoundly embarrassed. That’s enough for me. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2019, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/103 "2019-01-22T23:24:59Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > Someday, not to long from now, they will look back at their choice of headgear and be profoundly embarrassed. That’s enough for me. Not necessarily - adult racist pieces of shit have to come from somewhere. It seems probably that a pool of teenage racist pieces of shit will produce more than a few. ---
**Author:** ![BeepKillBeep](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9e8a1a/32.png) [@BeepKillBeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BeepKillBeep)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2019, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/104 "2019-01-22T23:28:34Z")
The 24 hour news cycle has created a situation where journalistic standards have been reduced. And I think this is one of the cases that highlights this. Let’s be clear some of CovCath kids are awful. Plenty of information has come to light outside of this event that show that some of them are racist little bastards. But for this particular incident the news organizations were hasty. They didn’t investigate very well at all. They ran with what they had because there is this need to be first, to create clicks. This has to stop, and they need to held to journalistic standards. I’m glad to see The Atlantic take some responsibility here, not that I think things will change. However, where is the OPs outrage over the thousands of lies told by: - Trump and his administration - Tucker Carlson - Sean Hannity - Bill O’Reilly - Rush Limbaugh - Brietbart - and so on. Compared to Fox News and other right wing outlets the bulk of the MSM does a far superior job. When you’re ready to take the worst culprits to task for this let me know. ---
**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, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/105 "2019-01-22T23:28:58Z")
> [@doorhinge](#): > > I keep forgetting to ask your permission for what I can, or can not, post. Perhaps if you wrote your requirements on a sticky note, or a Post-It, and placed over your screen, or tuck it into one of your usb ports, I may promise to give your concerns all due consideration. Ah, snark: that refuge where one can hide when they have nothing of substance to contribute. Rest assured, I’ll be here to call out the dishonest parts of your posts whenever I feel it’s necessary. Of course, if you just stopped posting dishonestly, I wouldn’t ever feel that need… but what you post is up to you, right? It’s totally your conscious decision to post these things. ---
**Author:** ![elucidator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/8edcca/32.png) [@elucidator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elucidator)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2019, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/106 "2019-01-22T23:36:12Z")
> [@](#): > > …One man, Don Wegman, came to the protest wearing a red MAGA hat. He said that he had supported Trump’s campaign, but came to this demonstration with a message of reconciliation. > > “My hat,” he said, “represents coming together, not tearing people down.” > > He took his hat off as he listened to an Indian prayer. He heard Guy Jones, of the Hunkpapa Lakota speak, and then he dodged across the crowd. > > The two men looked at each other and embraced before exchanging numbers and an offer to meet for coffee or a meal. > > Wegman turned to leave. > > Jones smiled. > > “That’s what I was hoping for,” he said. _From the WaPo cite above_ There is yet hope, and we are it. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2019, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/107 "2019-01-22T23:36:42Z")
Plenty of schools have field trips to Washington, DC. When most schools do it, it’s so the kids can visit the museums and monuments and other educational opportunities. Which is what schools are supposed to do. Most schools don’t do it to use the students as pawns for their political ends, because that’s not what schools are supposed to do. When students go somewhere on their own to promote their own political views, that’s different, because they’re doing it on their own, and it’s their own views. ---
**Author:** ![Jonathan\_Chance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jonathan_chance/32/701_2.png) [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2019, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/108 "2019-01-23T00:13:08Z")
> [@Snowboarder\_Bo](#): > > Ah, snark: that refuge where one can hide when they have nothing of substance to contribute. > > Rest assured, I’ll be here to call out the dishonest parts of your posts whenever I feel it’s necessary. Of course, if you just stopped posting dishonestly, I wouldn’t ever feel that need… but what you post is up to you, right? It’s totally your conscious decision to post these things. That’s gonna warm you a warning, Bo. You know better than to accuse someone of lying. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2019, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/109 "2019-01-23T00:14:06Z")
> [@nicky](#): > > Black Hebrews? Wtaf? The most virulent racists in this whole sordid story. I have yet to see more than a handwave given by any news source left of center. Certainly no call to dox them, put them in a wood chipper, ruin their lives, ruin their parents lives. Lock them in their school and bomb the school. Now no, I haven’t seen any news site advocate this to the MAGA kids (maybe The Root called for violence, I can’t read Harriots shit for too long) but boy howdy their comment sections sure did without banning or modding. And several Blue Marks in Twitter did without any discipline so far. Now if this place let posters get away with that, I would take it as tacit approval of such posts. But you guys are pretty cool about keeping the rules. You guys rock. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2019, 12:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/110 "2019-01-23T00:24:16Z")
Final note: Between this and the Buzzfeed-Mueller debacle, trust in media has to be at an all time low…and I don’t think it’s a stretch to say distrust in media leads to low voter turnout. And that low voter turnout will hurt the Dem party more than Pubs ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2019, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/111 "2019-01-23T00:26:03Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > Final note: Between this and the Buzzfeed-Mueller debacle, trust in media has to be at an all time low…and I don’t think it’s a stretch to say distrust in media leads to low voter turnout. And that low voter turnout will hurt the Dem party more than Pubs If only we had had an election in the past few months that might give us some solid data about whether Democratic voters turned out at a high level… ---
**Author:** ![The\_Plutonium\_Kid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@The\_Plutonium\_Kid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Plutonium_Kid)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2019, 12:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/112 "2019-01-23T00:43:03Z")
> [@Airbeck](#): > > 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? “Campaign” was a poor choice of words, but the fact remains that a media lynch mob slandered, vilified and threatened those white kids – and they did it because they were white. ---
**Author:** ![Dale\_Sams](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/779978/32.png) [@Dale\_Sams](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dale_Sams)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2019, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/113 "2019-01-23T00:44:56Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > If only we had had an election in the past few months that might give us some solid data about whether Democratic voters turned out at a high level… Pretty sure that election wasn’t presidential and was before this week. If you’re implying the 2020 election will feature an allltime voter turnout we can make a friendly wager. I win you donate to Baseball Ref. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2019, 12:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/114 "2019-01-23T00:50:10Z")
> [@Dale\_Sams](#): > > Pretty sure that election wasn’t presidential and was before this week. > > If you’re implying the 2020 election will feature an allltime voter turnout we can make a friendly wager. I win you donate to Baseball Ref. I’ll decline your massive goalpost shift (from “low turnout” to under “an alltime voter turnout”?). If you want to make political predictions, I’ll recommend you stick with the professionals with track records – which means Nate Silver. And it’s way too early to be making any predictions about 2020 turnout. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Plutonium\_Kid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@The\_Plutonium\_Kid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Plutonium_Kid)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2019, 12:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/115 "2019-01-23T00:52:10Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > No, this ill-mannered children who shouted and did the “tomahawk chop” to denigrate native Americans(NOT cheer them) are racists, without question, and anyone that would call them “heroes” for doing it…:mad: > > WHO HERE HAS SAID THEY WANT ANYONE MURDERED? He didn’t say that anyone on this board has called for killing them. He merely noted that death threats were made against them, and those threats apparently don’t bother you at all. It does look an awful lot like you’ve already decided the kids are violent racist troglodytes, and nothing’s going to change your mind. ---
**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 23, 2019, 12:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/116 "2019-01-23T00:55:55Z")
Even violent racist troglodytes deserve to live. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2019, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/117 "2019-01-23T00:56:28Z")
> [@The\_Plutonium\_Kid](#): > > and they did it because they were white. Nonsense - if this was true then they’d have no way to have separated out the kids from all the other white people when they were targeting them for their criticism. No, it must the case that their behavior invited censure, possibly instead of their whiteness, or at a minimum in addition to it. This is logically certain. ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2019, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/118 "2019-01-23T00:58:56Z")
> [@The\_Plutonium\_Kid](#): > > He didn’t say that anyone on this board has called for killing them. He merely noted that death threats were made against them, and those threats apparently don’t bother you at all. It does look an awful lot like you’ve already decided the kids are violent racist troglodytes, and nothing’s going to change your mind. The hats are a dead giveaway. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Plutonium\_Kid](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/8baadc/32.png) [@The\_Plutonium\_Kid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Plutonium_Kid)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2019, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/119 "2019-01-23T01:03:25Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > For what it’s worth, I’m okay with saying that the wearing of a MAGA cap fairly supports a default assumption that the wearer is stupid. But ironclad conclusive evidence would be having voted for Hillary. ---
**Author:** ![RaftPeople](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@RaftPeople](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RaftPeople)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2019, 1:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210/120 "2019-01-23T01:09:25Z")
I ignored this story (because I generally ignore the news), but I just watched the longer video. Media quite clearly got it 100% wrong. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210.md?page=5) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/has-the-media-misrepresented-the-incident-with-the-covington-cathlic-kids/828210.md?page=7)