Blame Jumpers

As allegations of gang rape swirled against Duke University lacrosse players, ESPN and MSNBC were among many news outlets that tried to suggest that alcohol-related misdemeanors were a dark precursor to rape. NPR was one of many media members more than willing to play up the racial angle, exacerbating tension in Durham and elsewhere. Salon was just one news outlet with the apparent intent of stirring up a class struggle. It seems quite a substantial portion of the media had tried and convicted the Duke lacrosse team before the first charge was even filed.

Now that DNA evidence seems to have cleared the lacrosse team of the charges for a forensic perspective, will Ellen Goodman be the spokesperson to apologize on behalf of the media? Goodman wrote four days ago that many bloggers "have only one exercise routine: jumping to conclusions." As she is somehow qualified to judge conclusion jumping in the blogosphere, she is at least equally as qualified to judge her friends in the media when they are obviously guilty of making the exact same mistake for a longer period of time.

Does anyone think she'll have the integrity to do so?