Trial by Media Fire

The Don Imus and Duke lacrosse cases had three things in common: race, money and media frenzy. Imus had all three factors against him, so he lost. The Duke players had two with them: money and, in the end, media. They won.


From the start, the Duke case was justice by media. The DA convicted the players in the media. Media coverage raised questions about what really happened. And AG Roy Cooper exonerated the three in a worldwide media frenzy.


Imus is a media creature and creation. But he was trying to do two contradictory things: be a shock jock and a serious commentator. He skated on that thin ice a long time.


Both cases started with race. Both started with female African-American college students. One was a troubled stripper and professional “escort.” The others, accomplished basketball players.


There was no question what Imus did. It was on tape, on YouTube and eternally retrievable.


There was great question about what the Duke players did.


The players were fortunate that their parents had the money to hire North Carolina’s best lawyers.


Money worked against Imus. At first, politicians and his bosses stood by him. But the networks caved when corporate sponsors got worried about boycotts by African-American consumers. Black economic power prevailed.


The storm winds strengthened over a slow-news Easter weekend, then grew to a Category 5 hurricane. Despite a weeklong apology-thon, Imus couldn’t survive.


The Duke case climaxed with two globally televised press conferences – one by AG Roy Cooper and the other by the attorneys and players.


Cooper didn’t sound like the typical politician caught in these situations. His statement was clear, strong and concise. It might have helped that he spent a night in the hospital – alone with his thoughts and away from his advisers.


The attorneys, not so good. Their criticism of the media rang wrong. Without 60 Minutes, The News & Observer and other news hounds, Mike Nifong might still be on the case.


Plus, a couple of the lawyers about broke their arms patting themselves on the backs for their courage and brilliance.


The only graceful note was Wade Smith. But he came way too late. The wrong tone had been set.


As a friend told me, “I would have felt better if one attorney or one player had said, just once: ‘It was a real mistake to have this drunken party and hire a couple of strippers from an escort service. I’m sorry we did that’.”


Imus showed that people in public life are just one ill-considered soundbite away from disaster. The Duke case dramatized what we tell our teenagers: Develop the internal radar to know when a situation is spinning toward trouble and you need to get out.


And remember that every single person – from great athletes to a troubled stripper – deserves to be treated with respect.


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Trial by Media Fire

The Don Imus and Duke lacrosse cases had three things in common: race, money and media frenzy. Imus had all three factors against him, so he lost. The Duke players had two with them: money and, in the end, media. They won.


From the start, the Duke case was justice by media. The DA convicted the players in the media. Media coverage raised questions about what really happened. And AG Roy Cooper exonerated the three in a worldwide media frenzy.


Imus is a media creature and creation. But he was trying to do two contradictory things: be a shock jock and a serious commentator. He skated on that thin ice a long time.


Both cases started with race. Both started with female African-American college students. One was a troubled stripper and professional “escort.” The others, accomplished basketball players.


There was no question what Imus did. It was on tape, on YouTube and eternally retrievable.


There was great question about what the Duke players did.


The players were fortunate that their parents had the money to hire North Carolina’s best lawyers.


Money worked against Imus. At first, politicians and his bosses stood by him. But the networks caved when corporate sponsors got worried about boycotts by African-American consumers. Black economic power prevailed.


The storm winds strengthened over a slow-news Easter weekend, then grew to a Category 5 hurricane. Despite a weeklong apology-thon, Imus couldn’t survive.


The Duke case climaxed with two globally televised press conferences – one by AG Roy Cooper and the other by the attorneys and players.


Cooper didn’t sound like the typical politician caught in these situations. His statement was clear, strong and concise. It might have helped that he spent a night in the hospital – alone with his thoughts and away from his advisers.


The attorneys, not so good. Their criticism of the media rang wrong. Without 60 Minutes, The News & Observer and other news hounds, Mike Nifong might still be on the case.


Plus, a couple of the lawyers about broke their arms patting themselves on the backs for their courage and brilliance.


The only graceful note was Wade Smith. But he came way too late. The wrong tone had been set.


As a friend told me, “I would have felt better if one attorney or one player had said, just once: ‘It was a real mistake to have this drunken party and hire a couple of strippers from an escort service. I’m sorry we did that’.”


Imus showed that people in public life are just one ill-considered soundbite away from disaster. The Duke case dramatized what we tell our teenagers: Develop the internal radar to know when a situation is spinning toward trouble and you need to get out.


And remember that every single person – from great athletes to a troubled stripper – deserves to be treated with respect.


Click Here to discuss and comment on this and other articles in our Forum.

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Gary Pearce

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