Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Grading the local media coverage of Crystal Mangum’s press conference

I have always maintained that the media has been in cahoots with the Carpetbagger families of the Duke Lacrosse defendants and the state of North Carolina in meting out vendetta justice to Mike Nifong et al. True to form, the biased media reinforced my premise by the way it approached the press conference that was held by Crystal Mangum at her residence of house arrest on Wednesday, June 30, 2010. This important conference with the media was scheduled to give Ms. Mangum an opportunity to set the record straight regarding events that occurred the night of February 17, 2010 which resulted in her arrest. It was also held two days before her upcoming court appearance on Friday, July 2, 2010. Grading the local media ranged from a high grade for NBC-17 News, to a low one for Durham’s daily newspaper, The Herald Sun.

In addition to the statement by Ms. Mangum and the question-answer interval that followed, all media in attendance received a signed written statement as well as a complete 8 page formal complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division. Lay Advocate Sidney Harr filed the complaint two weeks ago, and in it he complained about the discriminatory and selective treatment Ms. Mangum received by police, prosecutors, and the courts.

In assessing the media coverage, content, presentation, and objectivity were taken into consideration. Broadcast, publication, and online works were evaluated when available. It should be noted that the Committee on Justice for Mike Nifong, which arranged the press conference, was never mentioned by name in any of the media reports – in writing or video, or online. Grades were doled out, from best to worst, as follows:

Grade of B for NBC-17 News - it garnered the highest grade based mainly on its online video which includes the entire extemporaneous statement by Crystal Mangum which lasted three minutes and 47 seconds. The online text and the broadcasted segment on television also made mention of the fact that a complaint was filed with the federal government about Ms. Mangum’s treatment (although the name of the complainant was never mentioned). It is the only media outlet to mention the complaint. My main complaint with NBC-17 is that it was difficult for me to find the story by searching for it. Kendall Jones was the reporter for the event.

Grade B- for ABC-11 News. Reporter Anthony Wilson did a good job in reporting on the main points made by Ms. Mangum during its segment which lasted two minute and 17 seconds. Points were detracted from ABC-11’s grade because it dwelled too much on the Duke Lacrosse case, showing file video of the Duke Lacrosse defendants at their news conference, Ms. Mangum in a correctional jumpsuit, etc. Although the Duke Lacrosse case was the proximate impetus of the mistreatment of Ms. Mangum, it had no direct bearing on the incidents of the night of February 17, 2010.

Grade C for WRAL/Fox 50. Reporter Erin Hartness did a good covering the major points in the one minute 54 second video. Again, file video showing Ms. Mangum in the jumpsuit resulted in deductions to the final grade.

Grade D- for the News & Observer. The article by Stanley Chambers gives the police’s story of what happened the night of February 17th and not Crystal’s version of events. Although it covered a few points made by Ms. Mangum accurately, the article was obviously biased by its misleading rehashing of the Duke Lacrosse case. In particular is the false statement “State Attorney General Roy Cooper cleared the three men in 2007.” It has been brought to the media’s attention time and again that the attorney general does not have the power to clear anyone. He has the power to dismiss a case, which is what he did in Duke Lacrosse. There is also the implication that Ms. Mangum should have faced charges. The media failed to view Ms. Mangum as the victim even though she was the one who was sexually assaulted at the beer-guzzling stripper party in which Ms. Mangum was hired to perform under false pretenses by a lacrosse player who used a false name. The article failed to mention the most important point by Ms. Mangum, which is that she did not have any prior knowledge or involvement in setting clothes on fire in the bathtub or in vandalizing the car. The article is also misleading in stating that the house was on fire (which it wasn’t) and that her ex-boyfriend was the only other person in the home (again, false, because the police were in her apartment). What is extremely objectionable about the News & Observer is the fact that the article was placed on the third page of the local news section and not on the front page of that section. Instead, the front page article of the local section featured the milk-chugging contest between the senators and representatives at the General Assembly, and the color photograph showed a picture of a representative being served some ice cream.

Grade F+ for 14 News Carolina. This was truly pathetic example of journalism. The clip of the press conference, which lasted all of 33 seconds, featured no actual video from the press conference, although the reporter was there with the camera. Only file footage of Ms. Mangum wearing a jail jumpsuit and scenes of her apartment with crime scene tape sloppily strewn around were shown during the 33 seconds. The voiceover was in a monotone which sounded as though the individual making the statement was extremely bored. There was no effort put forth by 14 News Carolina. The journalist/cameraperson wasted time covering the event, as none of her efforts were utilized. Pathetic and unprofessional.

Grade F- for The Herald Sun. This newspaper is the daily local newspaper for Durham and the surrounding area, and although the assignment editor was notified well in advance of the press conference, she stated that no one would attend, because some reporters were on vacation. She requested, and was e-mailed hours after the morning press conference, a written statement by Ms. Mangum as well as the copy of the complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Justice. Yet nothing appeared in Thursday’s newspaper or online. One member of the Committee on Justice for Mike Nifong was told by someone at the newspaper that the press conference would be covered along with an article about Mangum’s Friday, July 2nd hearing. Only one problem, and that is that the hearing was cancelled without notice. The public defender did not even have the common courtesy to notify Ms. Mangum of the cancellation, and she showed up at an empty courtroom along with three other members of the Committee on Justice for Mike Nifong. The Herald Sun’s failure to cover this story is beyond outrageous… it is journalistic malpractice.

In conclusion, the coverage of Crystal Mangum’s press conference of June 30, 2010, solidly reinforces my premise that the media is biased against Ms. Mangum and will go to great lengths to represent her in a negative light.


For decent coverage of Ms. Mangum's press conference of June 30, 2010, go to the following link and click on the button with the story posted for the date of July 6, 2010:
http://www.justice4nifong.com/btnnews/btnnews.htm

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

I guess Sid gets an F as well....There is no article posted for the date of July 6, 2010 at
http://www.justice4nifong.com/btnnews/btnnews.htm

The last dated article on this site is from June 24th, 2010....

Lance the Intern said...

Anonymous at 7:46 -- The link is there now.

Michael said...

"This important conference with the media was scheduled to give Ms. Mangum an opportunity to set the record straight regarding events that occurred the night of February 17, 2010 which resulted in her arrest."

No, Sidney, she did not set the record straight. That would involve explaining the circumstances of the fire and property damage which she did not do. All she did was say that she wasn't responsible for either.

"The media failed to view Ms. Mangum as the victim even though she was the one who was sexually assaulted at the beer-guzzling stripper party in which Ms. Mangum was hired to perform under false pretenses by a lacrosse player who used a false name."

This would require the media to report your personal opinion, Sidney, as fact. They can't do that because all the law enforcement officials, including Nifong, that were involved in the investigation concluded that there were no extant facts to support this opinion.

"The public defender did not even have the common courtesy to notify Ms. Mangum of the cancellation, and she showed up at an empty courtroom along with three other members of the Committee on Justice for Mike Nifong."

CGM, on your advice, Sidney, just blew up the PD's only opportunity to reduce or eliminate CGM's future jail time by holding a presser and denying everything - without offering an explanation for anything. I'm not sure why the PD owes CGM or the Committee anything after that little performance.

I've concluded that you are as mentally ill as CGM, and that further discussion with you is a waste of time. I hope for her sake, and the sake of her future relationship with her kids, that CGM finds some people who will really help her, and not just folks that share and enable her disfunction.

Anonymous said...

.

Congratulations, Michael !

You have achieved a

PERFECT

record here at Nifong's blog.

100% pure unadulterated

Lacrosse bullshit.

100% of the time.

.

Lance the Intern said...

Anonymous @12:17....We know. The truth hurts.

Come back when you can actually present a cogent argument against Michael.

Troll.

kenhyderal said...

Michael said: "No, Sidney, she did not set the record straight. That would involve explaining the circumstances of the fire and property damage which she did not do. All she did was say that she wasn't responsible for either." Since Crystal has no knowledge of the fire and the property damage it's not incumbent on her to give such an explanation. The onus for that lies with the prosecution. Michael Said: "The public defender did not even have the common courtesy to notify Ms. Mangum of the cancellation, and she showed up at an empty courtroom along with three other members of the Committee on Justice for Mike Nifong." The PD want's Crystal to plead guilty to a charge she is innocent of, expedient but not in the interest of justice. This will also have repercussions for her in regaining custody of her children.

guiowen said...

All they want is to keep CGM out of the way for as long as possible so she won't spoil the Nifong script. They don't care whether she's in jail or simply under house arrest.
The only people who think otherwise are Sidney and his sock puppets. Well, perhaps there's also Kenhyderal, though lately I'm beginning to wonder whether he actually exists.

kenhyderal said...

Guiowen said " Well, perhaps there's also Kenhyderal, though lately I'm beginning to wonder whether he actually exists" Exists?? A spectre, perhaps ??

Anonymous said...

Sidney gets an FFFF---- for his coverage of the Lacrosse case. He insists that an assault took place although all the forensic evidence definitively ruled out the kind of assault recorded in Ms. Mangum's medical record.

Sidney B Harr said...

kenhyderal - spectre my ass. He is an ignorant Canadian camel-fucker currently living in Dubai.

kenhyderal said...

Those who are unable to effectively debate a question and then resort to ad hominen attacks are the ones who display ignorance.

kenhyderal said...

Oops, forgive the spelling error "ad hominem"

Anonymous said...

Crystal's attorney has withdrawn from her case. Sidney is quoted in the article, but the article does not discuss (or Sidney forgot to mention) the Carpetbagger Jihad being behind the arrest.

See link below.

Sidney, what else can you tell us? Did Rae Evans order Clayton to withdraw?


http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/07/07/569878/crystal-mangums-attorney-withdraws.html

Anonymous said...

Way to go, Sid....It looks like you and your team of "experts" have managed to run off CGM's only legal representation. PLEASE tell me you guys are gonna represent her....

Anonymous said...

Good job Sidney, you've pretty much guaranteed that CGM will have the book thrown at her. I salute you sir!

Anonymous said...

What I don't understand is why this 'committee' has advised CGM to go against her lawyer's counsel? Do you believe him to be incompetent? How could this ridiculous press conference possibly serve her interests in her criminal case?

kenhyderal said...

He advises her to plead guilty to a crime she did not commit.

Anonymous said...

There should be jail time for Precious and Nifong, that would be justice. This blog is a waste of IP addressing and DNS entries.

Carry on.c

Anonymous said...

Sid -- exactly who on the committee is giving CGM legal advice?

Anonymous said...

He advised her to accept a plea bargain for a crime she did commit.

Anonymous said...

Perhaps the wannabe lacrosse whore lawyers
should consult their state bar associations
concerning the ethics of giving unsolicited malicious
and dishonest "legal advice" on the internet.

Anonymous said...

the system IS out to get CGM . The system was designed specifically to get people *like* CGM.

You know - criminals.

Anonymous said...

"The system was designed specifically
to get people *like* CGM.
You know - criminals. "

Then maybe we should call Joe Cheshire.
He's the best at Beating the Rap.

Anonymous said...

Hmmm, we just love the smell
of a lacrosse locker room
in the morning.

Nifong Supporter said...


In a few minutes I will post a blog explaining the issues of why the prosecution is now desperately seeking a plea deal.

Anonymous said...

Falsely accusing three people of rape tends to turn people people against you.