2008 Woodie Awards
Vote Absentee
One-sided program reflects campus sentiment
Issue date: 10/16/06 Section: Editorial
Last update: 10/16/06 at 8:34 AM EST
Last update: 10/16/06 at 8:34 AM EST
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Last night, "60 Minutes" took a new look at the Duke lacrosse rape allegations after six months of investigation. For the first time, the three accused players agreed to televised interviews, and Kim Roberts, the exotic dancer who performed with the alleged victim on the night of the alleged assault, told her side of the story in full.
Despite the saturation of media attention surrounding the case and the relatively few new facts brought to the table last night, the broadcast refocuses attention on the allegations, team, University and, most thoroughly perhaps, the prosecution.
For an analytical and well known program such as "60 Minutes" to come down so decisively on one side of a highly controversial case seems significant. The show, anchored by Ed Bradley, highlighted several discrepancies in the prosecution's case and exposed instances of questionable conduct on the part of Durham officials over the past six months.
Click for related content:
- Campus tunes in to '60 Minutes'
- Lacrosse team, Duke respond as indicted players tell story on national TV
According to his interview, accused former player Reade Seligmann was never questioned by law enforcement officials before being indicted-and hasn't been yet.
In addition, indicted former lacrosse captain Dave Evans, Trinity '06, claims that he attempted to give the prosecution digital photographs that would have proven that he did not have a mustache-the facial feature that the alleged victim insisted Evans had that night-but that they refused to accept this added evidence.
Despite the saturation of media attention surrounding the case and the relatively few new facts brought to the table last night, the broadcast refocuses attention on the allegations, team, University and, most thoroughly perhaps, the prosecution.
For an analytical and well known program such as "60 Minutes" to come down so decisively on one side of a highly controversial case seems significant. The show, anchored by Ed Bradley, highlighted several discrepancies in the prosecution's case and exposed instances of questionable conduct on the part of Durham officials over the past six months.
Click for related content:
- Campus tunes in to '60 Minutes'
- Lacrosse team, Duke respond as indicted players tell story on national TV
According to his interview, accused former player Reade Seligmann was never questioned by law enforcement officials before being indicted-and hasn't been yet.
In addition, indicted former lacrosse captain Dave Evans, Trinity '06, claims that he attempted to give the prosecution digital photographs that would have proven that he did not have a mustache-the facial feature that the alleged victim insisted Evans had that night-but that they refused to accept this added evidence.
Viewing Comments 1 - 10 of 19
Aaron Cahn T '70
posted 10/16/06 @ 9:30 AM EST
In my experience 60 Minutes always tries to get both sides of the story, so the total absence of Mike Nifong says to me that he is hiding out. He could easily have given a short interview, if only to say that he wasn't going to speak about the case directly, and he obviously chose not to do that. (Continued…)
Bob Banks
posted 10/16/06 @ 10:12 AM EST
You say, "the program left a distinct feeling of leaving out the other side of the story."
So why don't you tell the other side of the story?
Here's a challenge for you: Put together a timeline and narrative of a rape, of a legal crime, which is consistent with the known evidence -- the accuser's inconsistent stories, the lack of corroborating DNA, the lack of corroborating physical injury, Kim Roberts' repudiation of the accuser's statments, Reade Seligmann's alibi. (Continued…)
KBP
posted 10/16/06 @ 10:15 AM EST
"the national audience may have learned last night the full extent of the prosecution's apparent" MISCONDUCT.
To classify Nifong's miconduct simply as "error" is quite a bit more thoughtful of others than he, himself, has been. (Continued…)
W K
posted 10/16/06 @ 10:22 AM EST
Your statement almost seems to hope that a crime actually did take place. Shame on you!
Ronald Sutton
posted 10/16/06 @ 11:43 AM EST
One sided? What is it about 'Mr Nifong Repeatedly refused our numerous requests for an Interview!' Did they not understand?
Laura
posted 10/16/06 @ 11:47 AM EST
I don't think this assessment is inaccurate or unfair, but as all of us who paid attention to the national media attention unfolding on campus (especially alumni like me who'd moved away and didn't have as much local media to consult), it was really the first serious look we'd seen at the side of the players, the first time someone took what they had said seriously and not just as a counterpoint to what the alleged victim said. (Continued…)
Jack
posted 10/16/06 @ 12:27 PM EST
Just a reminder, 60 Minutes reported that they asked Nifong for comment and he refused. It's only seems one-sided because Nifong refused to participate (though he was plenty willing to participate in interviews when he was making the case appear one-sided in the other direction last April). (Continued…)
Anonymous
posted 10/16/06 @ 12:50 PM EST
Note to Chronicle editors: I realize Duke doesn't have a j-school, but you guys don't understand what constitutes one-sidedness. Presenting only one viewpoint does not by default make the story one-sided. (Continued…)
J.S.
posted 10/16/06 @ 1:22 PM EST
This newspaper takes a harder line on the football team than it does on the sick joke being played on members of the lacrosse team.
marcus_j
posted 10/16/06 @ 1:40 PM EST
It is easy for a program to be one-sided when every single fact of the case supports only one side of the arguement. What EVIDENCE could 60 Minutes possibly have shown that supported what the District Attorney claimed happened? These 3 men are facing 30 years in prison based solely on them being picked out of a lineup of their team (even after some had not been identified previously). (Continued…)
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