Media Jam is a new online magazine that I've been asked to be a staff writer for, available online and in hardcopy from New Flesh soon.
Seemingly, folk are interested in the shit that we listen to and get up to.
Don't worry... The names will be changed to protect the guilty
Read the rest of the mag, though... There's stuff in there that's a lot better than my shit - and we got an interview with Chuck D next month
*----------------MEDIA JAM------------------------*
Free, controversial and interactive media commentary
*------------------------------------------------------*
Second Issue - Volume 1, Issue #2. August 2003
------------------------------------------------------
Copyright 2003 Project Mayhem
IN THIS ISSUE:
1. Bling Bling by Buzz
2. Kobe Bryant - Trial by Media - compiled by Dave Blue
3. Zap's Media Rant - by Zap 25
3. Movie Review: Terminator 3 by Dave Blue
4. Interview with Sheldon Rampton - Daniel Campos
5. Scapegoat's Corner - From the Clubs - by DJ Scapegoat
6. CD Review: Dizzee Rascal - Boy in da Corner - by Buzz
7. VJ's Corner - Zap 25 and Peter Rubin
INTRODUCTION:
---------------------
Welcome to Issue 2 of Media Jam. Anyone new to our publication might
benefit from knowing that Media Jam is a free monthly magazine dedicated
to discussing media and our relationship with it, bringing you the views
of fans, insiders and commentators alike.
Here's the essentials...
Subscriptions: Subscriptions are free, and all you need to do to get on
the list is send an e-mail to
mediajam-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.
Thereafter, a new issue of the magazine will land in your inbox each
month.
People who want to subscribe by snail-mail and receive a hard copy
instead of an electronic version, write to: Media Jam. In the U.S., mail
to 708 Novelda Rd., Alhambra, CA 91108 USA. Or alternatively,
British and European readers can try: Ashtree Cottage, Downham, Nr.
Clitheroe, Lancs BB7 4BJ England.
Contributors: We are always looking for writers with something
interesting to say that fits the broad topic of media, and we want any
of you with articles or ideas to come forward and send them to us for
publication. You'll get paid exactly what we Editors are getting paid -
nothing - but the world will get to read your views and in contributing
you help to maintain the sort of interactive environment we want Media
Jam to represent. Letters of inquiry or writing samples can be sent to
either one of the editors; e-mail them to
davezero@mindspring.com or to
contactbuzz@operamail.com
See here how the interactive model works in practice. A Brazilian dude
named Daniel sent in an interview he'd conducted with media/PR expert
Sheldon Rampton - and here it is in print in the next issue. So we live
by the standard of Cicero - we criticize by creation.
Snail-mail submissions can be sent to either address given above, under
subscriptions.
Reviews: Got a band with a demo CD? An independent movie you'd like
reviewed? Maybe you yourself have a review you could author on an
appropriate topic. In any case, if you'd like us to review something,
send it in.
Distribution: Besides sending a copy to everyone on the electronic
subscription list and the snail mail list, we're hoping that you the
readers can help us out a bit with distribution. While Media Jam
originates on the internet, it is designed not to be a
stare-at-the-monitor publication, but one to print out and read in hard
copy form. So print out your copy, and when you're done, pass it along
to someone else who might have interest. Additionally, we will be
announcing locations where hard copies of Media Jam can be picked up;
The first location where copies can be picked up locally is the club
DJ'ed by our friend Reverend Scapegoat, a Staff Writer who DJs a club
show every week - expect to be able to pick up copies there - see his
column for more details.
Incidentally, apologies to the readers - we promised an interview with
Chuck D of Public Enemy, and while Chuck has agreed to do one and has
received our questions, but didn't get his answers back in time for
print. Look for Chuck D: the Media Jam interview in Issue #3 due
September 1st.
One final note - and I don't really like having to say anything like
this, but considering the controversy generated by the article of
Rushkoff's we ran last issue - "The Facial", let me make one thing
perfectly clear. This is an adult publication. If you're reading I
assume you're either an adult or close enough to it not to be
traumatized. We are not a porn mag or heavy on "adult content" but we
ARE committed to a policy of no censorship, and things such as
profanity, violence, and sexual situations might appear in some of the
articles. So there's your Parents' Advisory warning. If you're under 18
or the type to be offended easily, maybe you should pass your copy to
the next guy you see.
-----------------------------------------------------------------
ALL THAT GLITTERS
The Effects of Bling and Thug Culture on Hip-Hop
by Buzz
There's a track on DJ Shadow's 'Entroducing...' album, 'Why Hip-Hop
Sucks in '96'. It's only short: a few bars of a sublime, chiming loop
before a voice intones, "it's the money." Not exactly a world exclusive,
but true nonetheless.
Thing is, true as it was in '96, it didn't stop being true in '97; it
didn'tstop being true in '98; nor did it in '99. And never did it stop.
It's still true - truer than ever, in fact, for we are now living in the
Age of Bling. Of course, you could argue that bling (in its various
guises) has always been a factor in mainstream hip-hop, something which,
itself, has always been about breaking out of a dead-end existence and
making your mark on the world. Which is great - that's a positive thing
for hip-hop to represent. What isn't so positive is the cult of money
that's devloped in this particular area of the music, to the extent
where money has become not just the point, but the subject matter, the
inspiration, the image, the whole shebang. Mainstream hip-hop is now,
literally, ABOUT money.
Rappers have become brands. Merchandise has become the name of the game,
with many artists having launched their own product ranges, like their
latest album is just another item in the spring catalogue. Nothing wrong
with someone making a little money, of course, but hip-hop has now
reached a plateau very much like the one on which the Nikes and
Coca-Colas of this world have been sitting for the past 20 years or so,
where profiteering has become the sole purpose of existence - where the
product takes second place to the brand, where the subject makes money
for the sake of making money and offers little more than tokens in
return.
But we're not here to discuss the politics of mainstream hip-hop's
obsession with money. This article is about hip-hop the music, and the
degrading effect that bling - and with it, the thug thing - has had on
the culture.
But first, a disclaimer: I'm not black. I'm not from the ghetto. I doubt
many die-hard hip-hoppers would consider me any more hip-hop than Will
Smith, if any. I'm a white middle-cass bloke from Bumfuck, England. I'm
not going to dig too deep into the culture that exists at the root of
the music, because that, frankly, would be patronising and offensive to
those that make up that culture. I'm writing entirely from the
perspective of a hip-hop lover who's grown very tired of all the fuss
and bluster he's seen at the more visible upper reaches of the genre -
ponces in fur coats bragging about the size of their diamonds and
slack-jawed goons airing personal vendettas on record. Like, SHUT UP.
You're boring me. I can hear this shit anywhere - I'm not going to pay
good money to hear it rapped over some weedy, anaemic funk.
A very clever man called Chuck D once said, "rap is the CNN of black
America". These days, it's more like 'Dallas' - some glossy, escapist
crap with nothing
to say for itself. Or nothing worth remembering, anyway. Now, I know I
promised not to start bleating about the ghetto or anything like that,
but if anyone with the relevant qualifications can tell me that they'd
accept P Diddy as a satisfactory spokesman, then they can come to
Bumfuck, England and pop a cap in my white ass.
Bling - as it stands, with its thug overtones - seems to have grown out
of gangsta rap. Almost everywhere you look in the mainstream, you're
faced by morons playing with the same pimp/hustler imagery: the fur
coats, the hats, canes and all that knackers. Positive? Chuck D and
friends also once rapped about the way Hollywood debased black culture
by restricting brown-skinned characters in their films to the roles of
"Butlers and maids/Slaves and ho's...I guess they figured you/to play
some jigaboo/On the plantation/What else can a nigga do?" ('Burn
Hollywood Burn'). Isn't hip-hop doing the very same thing right now? Yo,
kids - you too can be as successful as me. Be a motherfuckin' hustler!
You've heard the phrase, "keeping it real". You've probably heard it so
much that it's lost all meaning. True, it's become a cliche, but just
take a second to actually contemplate what it actually did mean. What is
hip-hop's obsession (or one-time obsession) with "keeping it real"? You
don't need a degree on the subject to figure it out - the culture has
always been concerned with representing not only its key players, but
its audience. Much as with punk before it, the point is that this music
is (supposed to be) made by the kids for the kids. Right now, the
unit-shifting arm of the genre has got so far out of touch with the
culture that spawned it that it's started spinning off wildly into its
own orbit. This would be a good thing, of course, if it didn't - bar a
few cases (Missy and Timbaland, the Neptunes) - lead to dull, witless
cock-waving music.
Once upon a time, a conscious, political act like Public Enemy could
make a real dent in the hit parade. Conscious hip-hop was a bankable
commodity - take
De La Soul, Rakim, Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy, to name but a few.
In the current climate, there's no way this would be possible. We're
faced with a barren, soulless culture with no humanity. This isn't what
I'm looking for in my hip-hop.
Not only this, but the music itself (the songwriting, the production) is
becoming homogenised in the process - that is, nothing but the same old
slick, synth-heavy funk is getting within sniffing distance of the
charts. Anything else is filed in the drawers marked 'Underground' and
'Left-field' and promptly forgotten about by all but the more dedicated
lovers of the music. I'm not a Luddite - I love cold digital production
as much as the next tech-head. But I also expect a little diversity and
variety from music. What's more, I want to hear it on my radio. Do
hip-hop's big guns find this simple equation too difficult to grasp?
That: THE MORE I HEAR SOMETHING THE LESS INTERESTED I BECOME. I can't be
alone in thinking like this. I can't be the only person in the world who
wants a balanced, varied musical diet.
I want dust and grit to go with the shiny plastic stuff. I want warmth
and humanity, rather than dumb money brags and physical threats. I want
meatier lyrical concerns than the sexual prowess of a gangster. Fuck
that. I can't relate to stories about pimp-rolling and gang-banging, and
neither can most people who buy hip-hop records. Nor, I suspect, can
many of the rappers themselves. Wasn't Tupac a nice, middle-class
ballet-dancing boy? Before he got signed and swallowed up by his own
public image, making his thug-life fantasy flesh in the process and
finally getting shot? Haven't rappers traditionally turned to music to
escape this kind of shit? And here a kid, who apparently never had to
endure this kind of shit, was actively involving himself in it because
the record industry had decided that the gangster 'lifestyle' was a
glamourous, marketable brand identity that could help shift units by the
shedload.
I'm reminded, once more, of PE's 'Burn Hollywood Burn' - "All I hear
about/Is shots ringin' out/'Bout gangs puttin' each other's head out".
14 years on from that record and nothing's changed, only know it's the
music industry at fault.
Say what you like - this is record executives telling artists, "dance,
monkey boy! dance!", accepting them only on their terms: either as camp,
Cristal-sipping fools, or as outlaw fantasies for teenage boys. They're
rendering an entire, hitherto independent culture impotent and reigning
it in, bringing it under their control. The sad irony s that hip-hop's
become too big for its own sake - the more popular a commodity becomes,
the more money certain players will invest in producing and promoting a
safe, sanitised version, andthis is precisely the fate that's befallen
our beloved music.
But there's an upside to that: if we all only ignore it, it definitely
WILL go away. So you know what to do. Vote with your money. Spend it on
something more
satisfying and meaningful... like drugs or porn.
---------------------------------
Media Jam Special Feature
"TRIAL BY MEDIA - THE KOBE BRYANT SAGA"
compiled and edited by Dave Blue
Oh and one note for you. This is a 40 page document. Don't burn your
retinas trying to read it all off of a screen. Media Jam is designed to
be downloadable, printable, and portable. Do yourself a favor - print it
out. And do me a favor - when you're done, pass it along to someone else
who might be interested.
==========================================
When we set out planning for the second issue of this magazine, we
thought we had a pretty full plate of good stuff to bring your way, a
couple of important interviews, a review or two, a local DJ scene
article - definitely enough to fill an issue.
And then the Kobe story broke - I admit it up front, I'm a basketball
fan and Kobe is my favorite player. Still, I didn't see anything that
would be on-topic for us here that needed talking about.
(A bit of background for non-sports fans or international readers. Kobe
Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers is the greatest player in the game
today. His combination of youth, talent, and performance have set him
apart from much of the NBA, and what's more, despite it all he's
maintained the image of a squeaky-clean "good guy". Recently on a trip
to Vail for surgery, he hooked up with a 19-year-old woman named Katelyn
Faber who, the day after, turned around and charged him with sexual
assault. Many fans believe that Kobe is innocent of all but adultery and
is being scammed in one of the most traditional manners for star
athletes. Other people take the opinion that Katelyn is correct until
proven otherwise and Kobe has already been saddled with the "rapist"
label. The following compilation examines different points of view and
how the media has shaped our thinking on this issue.)
However, the more info that came out, the more I began to see not one,
but two topics specifically related to our topic of media and began to
gather articles and commentary on them. Most articles and comments I've
gotten from the Usenet group alt.sports.basketball.nba.la-lakers. I've
done all I can to preserve the original links and credits, but some
comments have been made anonymously and you have my apologies in advance
if I've failed to credit a source. If you're one of those sources then
write in and we'll print a correction next issue. Also some of the
articles especially might seem a little choppy as I've lifted out the
important paragraphs while trying to avoid copy-and-pasting entire three
or four page story. Already I know this is going to be a pretty big
installment and no need to make it bigger than necessary.
This is not and was not intended to be a re-cap of the Kobe story. This
is Media Jam, not Sports Illustrated. We're focusing on a couple of
issues brought out by this case that relate to media and our response to
it. The two issues we're looking at specifically are
1) Freedom of Information - the big boys refused to disclose any
information, so the wonderful world of hackers and googlers simply went
around them and brought the facts to life. The point of this sub-topic
is the degradation of the concept of privacy. Non-disclosure policies
won't help you. If a nation of millions with net access wants the facts,
they'll get 'em.
2) Trial By Media - Perhaps best illustrated by the OJ Simpson case,
we've watched the way celebrity trials happen and how the end court
decision is almost irrelevant. The real trial takes place in the minds
of everybody who sucks up everything the media puts out and make up
their own minds.
With that said, let's launch into the meat of the feature. I'll
interject comments in the form of (Ed: here's a comment). Needless to
say the ed is for editor, not Edward.
http://shorterlink.com/?IT8K32
Longtime readers of this column know that rapists, child molesters and
sexual malefactors of every twisted stripe get no sympathy here. And
with all due respect to the concept of innocent unless proven guilty,
let's face it, if cops and prosecutors have enough evidence to arrest
and charge a guy for sexual assault, nine times out of 10, and maybe
more, he turns out to be guilty as sin.
Still, while it may not be politically correct to say it, there are
times when alleged sexual assault victims lie. And in those cases, the
opprobrium and scorn of society fall a lot harder on the innocent
accused than on the guilty accuser.
What brings this up is the Kobe Bryant case. As all the world knows, the
Lakers star and Orange County resident was arrested on suspicion of
sexual assault in Colorado after a 19-year-old female hotel worker made
an accusation against him. The woman's name is -
Well, that's the point. I can't tell you what the woman's name is.
Because the Register, like most mainstream newspapers, has a
longstanding policy against printing the names of sexual assault
victims, or even purported sexual assault victims.
Sure, as long as I toss in an occasional "allegedly" or "according to
police," I can cheerfully bandy Kobe's name in the public prints as an
accused sexual offender. But I can't print hers. And somehow, you have
to wonder if that's really fair.
Of course, there are a lot of good reasons not to publicize the names of
sexual assault victims. You don't want to humiliate someone who's
already been victimized. And you certainly don't want to make anyone
reluctant to report a sexual assault for fear of having her name
splashed all over the papers. So I'm not suggesting that the unwritten
rule about keeping sexual assault victims' names confidential should be
abandoned. But in some cases maybe the rule should be voluntarily
expanded a little bit.
At least until a few more facts are available - say, until after an
indictment or a preliminary hearing, or some damning evidence has been
made public - maybe the sexual assault confidentiality courtesy should
be extended to the accused as well as to the accuser.
And maybe this case would have been a good place to start. I know, it's
probably foolish to think that someone like Kobe Bryant could ever keep
his name out of the papers on something like this. His star status and
nice guy image ensure that he'll make the news if he so much as gets a
jaywalking ticket. And who knows, maybe he'll turn out to be guilty -
in which case he'd deserve some extra punishment, in addition to the
usual criminal penalties, for falsely making everybody think he was a
good guy.
But if he turns out to be innocent, as he says he is, if it turns out
there's nothing to the allegations, the double standard at work in
reporting sexual assault cases means that he'd still come out the loser.
Because his name would always be publicly attached to the false
accusations. And the false accuser's name never would be.
--
(Ed: That's the situation, as it first came out. But thankfully, we live
in an age where we don't have to bow down to the networks and their
policies. Check out the following
--
The issue of naming sexual assault victims came up during the trial of
Dr. William Kennedy Smith (nephew of the aquatic senator), accused of
raping a woman on the lawn of the Kennedy compound in Palm Beach during
Easter Weekend, 1991. NBC News let loose with her name, and the New
York Times quickly followed suit, arguing NBC had already made it
public. Other media went 'tut 'tut, as these insufferable liberals are
prone to do. The NBC affiliate in the Peoples Republic of Boston
bleeped the name out of the network feed. In the face of the backlash,
the Times stopped using the name. Here is what the president of NBC
News wrote by way of explanation. It makes lots of sense to me, as does
Mr. Dillow's column posted above.
[
http://www.cjr.org/year/91/4/victim.asp]
First, we are in the business of disseminating news, not suppressing
it.
Names and facts are news. They add credibility, they round out the
story, they give the viewer or reader information he or she needs to
understand issues, to make up his or her own mind about what's going on.
So my prejudice is always toward telling the viewer all the germane
facts that we know.
Second, producers and editors and news directors should make editorial
decisions; editorial decisions should not be made in courtrooms, or
legislatures, or briefing rooms -- or by persons involved in the news.
That is why I oppose military censorship, legislative mandate, and the
general belief that we should only print the names of rape victims who
volunteer their names. In no other category of news do we give the
newsmaker the option of being named. Those are decisions that should be
made in newsrooms -- one way or another.
Third, by not naming rape victims we are part of a conspiracy of
silence, and that silence is bad for viewers and readers. In reinforces
the idea that somehow there is something shameful about being raped.
Rape is a crime of violence, a horrible crime of violence. Rapists are
horrible people; rape victims are not. One role of the press is to
inform, and one way of informing is to destroy incorrect impressions and
stereotypes.
Fourth, and finally, there is an issue of fairness. I heard no debate in
our newsroom and heard of no debate in other newsrooms on whether we
should name the suspect, William Smith. He has not been charged with
anything. Yet we dragged his name and his reputation into this without
thought, without regard to what might happen to him should he not be
guilty -- indeed, should he not even be charged. Rapists are vile human
beings; but a suspect isn't necessarily a rapist. Were we fair?
Probably, yes, because he was thrust into the news, rightly or wrongly.
But so was Patricia Bowman, and we should treat her the same way
journalistically. We are reporters; we don't take sides, we don't pass
judgment.
By the way, Dr. Smith was acquitted.
At the time all this was going on, Florida had a law against reporting
the names of alleged sexual assault victims. However, there was a case
wending its way to the Supreme Court, in which a woman had been awarded
$100K from a newspaper that had accidentally printed her name. It had
appeared in a routine, public police report collected by a cub reporter.
However, the Supreme Court invalidated the law on First Amendment
grounds (look up Florida Star vs. B.J.F.). Good for the Court!
--
(Ed: so what it seems to be saying to me is, if you're a public figure,
it's okay to have your name dragged through the dirt, but if you're an
anonymous accuser, the system and the networks will attempt to block the
release of any information. Again, thankfully, we live in a time when we
can give the finger to that kind of attempt to control information. Now
am I being mean, screaming for the exposure of accusers' details? In
some cases, like this, most certainly. Check out this posat that
appeared on the newsgroup.)
--
Murder victims typically get no privacy. Their names are reported
without any problem by news outlets. Rape victim info is withheld by
news outlets for good reason because of the horrible nature of the
crime, and the victim's quest to carry on a normal life. MSNBC reports
that Katelyn Faber discussed before 5 players at a party drinking card
game, what Kobe Bryant's penis looks like. All 5 people at the table
have confirmed the story. Katelyn Faber should expect no privacy from
this point forward. Kobe is accused of a crime that may put him in jail
forever. It may also cost him a $10 million civil judgement directed
Katelyn Faber, her mother, and her attorney. Why do they need so much
money? Get a clue. Look at what's important..
--
(Ed: Okay, no judgement on her for being a drinker or a party girl,
that's nothing. But tell me, innocent little Katelyn, if you're such the
victim, then what the hell were you doing discussing the size and shape
of Kobe's anatomy? Is that what rape victims do? At any rate, here's the
next newsgroup comment in the saga)
--
A young woman has made a hideous accusation against Kobe Bryant. Her
friends are revelling in their own little "15 minutes of fame" just by
their associations with the alleged victim. "Wow, Starlene..!! You was
on the television..!!" The media pat themselves on the back for not
revealing her name, but give out enough information so that any 6 year
old with internet access (or just a good phone book) can figure it out.
--
(Ed: Here the writer makes a good point. Why have a non-disclosure
policy when you've lost (because, mainly, of the internet) the power to
enforce it. Read on and find out what all has been discovered by secret
sleuths determined to break through and get the story on the accuser.)
--
Some 'tards on this group evidently have this weird idea that posting
publicly available information such as...
Katelyn Kristine Faber
0817 Brush Creek Court
Eagle, CO 81631
(970) 328-6652
fabe5088@blue.unco.edu
..is somehow "illegal".
First of all, all of this information was publicly available long before
the "alleged" rape took place. No constitutional law can force people to
"unremember" certain facts about others, or punish people for revealing
or publishing those facts. Don't give me this bullshit that Slut Whore
Katelyn Faber has a special expectation of "privacy", and that nobody is
permitted to mention her name, address, or any other information that's
freely available to anyone who wants it. She went to the police and made
a public accusation against a public figure. As such, it is a matter of
public record. Kudos and/or letters of commendation to Lucas White
("mosszonedotcom"), for bringing to light facts the news media didn't
have the balls to.
--
(Ed. As facts began to come to light, ESPN had an excellent article on
the subject which I'll share with you now. It's a little long, but worth
the read.)
--
http://espn.go.com/page2/s/hruby/030723.html
Information overload
By Patrick Hruby
It's out there.
All of it. Her name. Her number. Where she lives. Where she went to high
school. The color of her eyes. Even the floor plan to her parents'
house. Anything and everything to satisfy your interest. Your curiosity.
Your rubbernecker's impulse. Your desire to know. That's what makes it
a story, really, makes anything a story.
Someone to tell ... and someone else to listen. You won't find much
about Kobe Bryant's accuser/alleged victim in the mainstream press. Her
age, her hometown, where she works. Vague testimonials from those who
know her -- and those who claim to. The spin emanating from each legal
camp. And that's about it. Kobe and his wife are used to media
attention -- but now info about his accuser/alleged victim is flooding
the Internet.
For the rest, you need to turn elsewhere. Both outward and inward. To
yourselves. Via the Internet. In chat rooms. On message boards. There,
you'll find the juice. Things you aren't supposed to know. And maybe
shouldn't know. Facts that may or may not be true. Information that is
wholly unfiltered, not to mention unvarnished.
Online, the medium is the instant messager. There's no need for the
media middleman. Let alone the editorial and legal judgment, the checks
and balances, that are supposed to govern news outlets such as ESPN and
the New York Times. Jayson Blair exempted.
Log on, and you're standing in a crowded bar, shouting across the
counter. Or sitting in a corner booth, exchanging conspiratorial
whispers. Information flows like suds from a tap, like spilled beer
running along a gutter. So what do you drink? Who do you trust? How
much is too much? And who decides? In the Bryant case and in general,
those are the questions facing the press and the public. For the media,
the Internet has changed the entire reporting dynamic -- of where
stories come from, of where they end up, of what constitutes news in the
first place.
In the past, sports reporters and their subjects mostly operated under a
gentleman's agreement -- at least, when it came to personal matters.
Private indiscretions were just that -- private. Think JFK's numerous
dalliances. Even today, it wouldn't be unusual for an NBA beat writer to
join a few players at a strip club ... without penning an embarrassing
two-part expose. But if said players were married, well-paid pillars of
the community, playing in a publicly funded stadium, and things got
out-of-hand raunchy? With rumors flooding a team chat room? And
incriminating photos appearing on a message board? Then what?
Mike Price knows the answer. Larry Eustachy, too.
In the rapid-fire, hyper-competitive 24-hour news world, there's no
sitting on information, no matter how distasteful. Not if the other guy
has it. And especially not if he's running with it. Which brings us to
another gentlemen's agreement -- the one governing media coverage of
Kobe's alleged victim. If a network, web site or major paper breaks
ranks and publishes the goods -- unlikely, given the nature of the case,
but certainly possible -- others will surely follow suit. Maybe not
everyone. But enough outlets to make the point moot. Ethics-wise,
would that be the right thing to do? Probably not. But don't kid
yourself, not for a second. The mainstream media has already saturated
Eagle, Colorado, combing the town for prurient details. And when you're
almost to the top of the bleachers, what's one more step?
For similar reasons, reporters can't afford to ignore the cyberspace
grapevine. Not unless they want to get scooped. Even if 99 percent of
the information out there is either unsubstantiated rumor or libelous
innuendo -- take your pick -- the other one percent makes all the
difference.
When the University of Arkansas dismissed basketball coach Nolan
Richardson, the story broke on a fan web site. Just like the Price and
Eustachy cases. And a scandal involving former Alabama football coach
Mike DuBose and his secretary. Which goes a long way toward explaining
why football spokespeople at Florida State have to spend a chunk of each
fall dispelling online rumors of Bobby Bowden's impending retirement,
year after year after year. Internet gossip about Alabama coach Mike
Price soon led to his dismissal.
"Online, you've got somebody who is literally nameless and faceless, who
can say whatever they want," says Rob Wilson, Florida State's assistant
athletic director for media and public relations. "And the newspaper
people have to check on it. So they usually call me. I have to take a
lot of ridiculous questions that they're frustrated to ask and I'm
frustrated to answer."
Unlike the press, the Internet public is under no obligation to check
the facts. Get confirmation from at least two sources. Answer to
editorial oversight. Uphold a reputation for accuracy. Or follow any
sort of ethical principles governing what should and should not be news.
The Net provides near-absolute freedom of speech, a soapbox for anyone
with a phone line and a sliver of bandwidth. The news is what you make
it. Which is liberating in principle ... and perilous in practice.
Chat rooms and message boards can be a coarse place, rife with base
vulgarity. Browsing the FreeKobe.com boards yesterday, you would have
come across one of the foulest screeds imaginable, a racist,
self-proclaimed "guide" to the N-word. The poster, of course, was
anonymous, protected in the same cowardly way that American League
pitchers are protected from retaliatory beanballs.
Take what you read with a grain of salt. Most people instinctively know
this. But on the Internet, it's more like a pillar. When former Illinois
basketball coach Bill Self left for the University of Kansas earlier
this year, the moderator of an Illini fan board created odds for a list
of potential replacements. As a joke, he included former New York Knicks
coach Jeff Van Gundy as a 1,000-to-1 shot. A day later, a caller on a
local sports talk radio show claimed that Van Gundy was spotted outside
Assembly Hall, the school's basketball arena.
Travis Taylor, a nondescript high school football player from upstate
New York, recently became a national Top 100 recruit after a series of
laudatory -- and false -- message board posts on a handful of respected
recruiting web sites. Taylor took a free campus visit to Michigan State
and was courted by Florida and Ohio State before the scam was uncovered.
Such is the power of suggestion.
With fact and fiction co-mingling in the online ether, overlapping like
waves, who's to say if the information on Kobe's alleged victim is even
true, let alone appropriate? And how much does that really matter, given
that the genie is well outside the bottle?
Here's what we know: It's out there, jumping from screen to screen. And
all of us want more -- more facts, more gossip, more tidbits to chew on.
Something to fill the 24-hour news cycle. Something to share at the
water cooler. Something to satisfy our innate desire for stories.
The question is: Do any of us know what to do when we get it?
--
(Ed. That's the theme of this first part of our feature, excellently
expressed in this article. The old rules are broken. You can't shut the
internet up. People working in network fashion will beat a handful of
stuffed shirts with gag orders any time.)
Time to move on now from the liberating power of the internet to provide
information and take a more in-depth look at the second and deeper part
of our feature - the notion of "trial by media": or trial by public
opinion. We'll start with a brief comment from the newsgroup that seemed
to capture the essence yet display some irony.
--
Kobe Bryant was wrong for cheating on his wife with that 19-year-old
white girl. I hope the sex was consent as he claim's it to be, and not
sexual assault as the 19 year old charges. His image publically will
forever be tarnished if he sexually assaulted the girl or not because he
still comitted adultry. The outcome of the court trail now if Kobe
Bryant is found innocent of sexual assault, part of his image may be
vindicated, but if found guilty by Eagle Colorado courts he could face
5-20 year jail sentence, or 20-life probation sentence, oouch!! just for
getting some pussy. The question is rather who will the jury believe...
Kobe Bryant or the 19-year-old Eagle Colorado girl. The 19-year-old
girl identity has been greatly kept sealed from the public, and the only
information that's been able to be known about her has come from her
friends, who say that she is a good girl who would never make a storie
like this, to ride of the fame of a celebrity. We also know she was a
cheerleader back in high school, and an excelent student. She also had
tried out for American Idol, but never made it. Also note that Eagle
Colorado investigators still havent released the evidence that have on
Kobe Bryant that ties him to the sexual assault claims ( if they found
Kobe's DNA in her, that could only tell us that did have sex.). Kobe
admit's now that he did have sex with her, but it wasn't sexual assault.
After all this, i'll think I'll let the court deside on who's innocent
or guilty before I take judgement.
--
(Ed: Now can we all wake up and smell the hypocrisy? After stoking the
fires of the ongoing trial of public opinion, he tells us "After all
this, I think I'll let the court decide....before I take judgement.
Excuse my French, but bullshit. Next time OJ is rollin' down the 5 in
his white Bronco or whatever incarnation of this pattern is, this guy
will be out there, glued to his set, and already deciding guilt or
innocence.)
It occurs to me that while some of us (basketball fans and celebrity
chasers) have been following the details of this pretty well, a lot of
you may be unfamiliar with what is supposed to have happened. So let me
now provide you with a police timeline that describes only the facts and
timetable.
--
By Lance Pugmire and Steve Henson
Times Staff Writers
July 18, 2003
EAGLE, Colo. - These are the key events involving the arrest of Laker
star Kobe Bryant on allegations he sexually assaulted a 19-year-old
Eagle woman, pieced together by Times reporters who examined hotel
records and conducted interviews with sheriff's and crime lab
investigators, law enforcement officials, hotel executives and
employees, witnesses and other sources. The times, listed in Mountain
time, in some cases are approximations.
June 30. Afternoon - Without informing the Lakers, Bryant takes a
private flight to Eagle, where he has made arrangements to undergo an
arthroscopic surgical procedure on his right knee at the Steadman
Hawkins Clinic in nearby Vail. The team had been expecting to meet with
Bryant to discuss the problems he was having with tendinitis in the
knee.
. 10 p.m. - Bryant and three male associates check in at the 56-room
Lodge & Spa at Cordillera in Edwards, a small town about halfway between
Eagle and Vail. Bryant uses the alias, "Javier Rodriguez" and is
assigned a first-floor room at the end of a long hall. The room next
door is vacant. The room for his associates, at least two of whom are
bodyguards, is registered to Michael Ortiz and it is located on the
third floor.
10:15 p.m. - Bryant mills around the lobby, largely ignored by hotel
employees who have been trained to respect the privacy of celebrity
guests..
11 p.m. - A 19-year-old woman who works for the hotel as a concierge
and receptionist goes off duty.
11:13 p.m. - A phone call lasting a few minutes is placed from
Bryant's room to what is believed to be his Newport Beach home, where
his wife, Vanessa, and young daughter are staying.
. Before midnight: Bryant's accuser goes to his room and stays for an
undetermined length of time, according to several hotel employees.
Sources differ on the precise time she went to the room.
July 1
12:36 a.m. - A pay-per-view movie is ordered in Bryant's room.
Morning - Bryant undergoes arthroscopy at the Steadman-Hawkins Clinic,
which will not divulge the time of the procedure.
Noon - Accompanied by her parents, Bryant's accuser reports the
alleged sexual assault to the Eagle County Sheriff's Department and is t
aken to Vail Valley Medical Center to undergo tests.
2-5 p.m. - Bryant returns from knee surgery and limps through the
lobby toward his room. Later, he and his associates lounge in the lobby,
playing chess, chatting and tipping well for their food and drink
orders.
8:50 p.m. - A room service order of $39.01 is placed from Bryant's
room.
11:10 p.m. - Although room service normally ends at 10:30 p.m., an
order of $20.66 is placed from Bryant's room.
11:30 p.m. - Eagle County Sheriff's investigators arrive at the Lodge
& Spa to interview Bryant and collect evidence from his room.
Investigators tell hotel security personnel they are not needed.
July 2
. 2:30 a.m. - Bryant is taken in a sheriff's patrol car from the Lodge
& Spa to Valley View Hospital in Glenwood Springs, 52 miles away. His
three associates follow in a taxi van, appearing "nervous and anxious,"
according to driver Terry O'Brien. One tells O'Brien he had to pick up
"a friend" having "the worst day of his life." Meanwhile, sheriff's
investigators retrieve a hotel computer printout of Bryant's room
purchases and phone records and tell employees not to speak publicly
about the incident.
3 a.m. - Bryant provides samples of DNA at Valley View Hospital. In an
effort to protect his privacy, he is tested at the Glenwood Springs
facility rather than the much closer medical center in Vail.
3:30 a.m. - Bryant leaves the hospital and departs in a taxi with his
associates. He covers his head with a towel and O'Brien is asked to keep
the interior lights off so Bryant cannot be identified.
4:15 a.m. - Bryant and his associates check into the Hotel Colorado in
Glenwood Springs.
5 a.m. - One of Bryant's associates returns to the Lodge & Spa to
recover Bryant's luggage and belongings. He returns to the Hotel
Colorado at 5:45 a.m.
9:11 a.m. - Bryant is billed $50 by the Lodge & Spa for a manicure
appointment he fails to keep because he checked out of the hotel earlier
than expected.
7:15 p.m. - Bryant and associates leave the Hotel Colorado and take a
flight back to Southern California, having been told, his attorneys say,
that no arrest warrant will be issued or criminal charges filed until
July 7, after the three-day Independence Day weekend.
July 3.
5:30 p.m. - Eagle County Sheriff Joseph Hoy obtains an arrest warrant
from district judge Russell Granger, sparking controversy because he did
not go through the usual step of having it signed off by the district
attorney, Mark D. Hurlbert.
July 4.
Morning - Bryant's Colorado-based attorney, Pamela Mackey, contacts
him by phone in California and says, "You need to come and turn yourself
in right now."
Bryant returns to Eagle County by private plane, accompanied by his
wife. He is fingerprinted, interviewed and booked on suspicion of felony
sexual assault and false imprisonment at the Eagle County Justice
Center. After posting $25,000 bond, he returns home to Newport Beach.
July 6
The Eagle County Sheriff's Department announces Bryant's arrest.
Mackey describes Bryant as distraught, but she says he expects to be
exonerated. Laker General Manager Mitch Kupchak says the allegations are
"completely out of character of the Kobe Bryant we know."
July 7
Sheriff Hoy and Hurlbert hold a joint news conference. Says Hoy: "My
investigators felt confident they did have evidence to seek the [arrest]
paperwork." Says Hurlbert: "Generally, the procedure is [the sheriff]
comes to us but there is no law that says he can't go to the judge
first. It's possible [Bryant] will be charged with sexual assault. It's
possible he will be charged with something else. It's possible he won't
be charged with anything."
July 8.
The Colorado Bureau of Investigation receives physical evidence -
typically in assault cases hair, blood or swabs or saliva, semen or
sweat - from Bryant and his accuser.
July 9.
1 p.m. - The accuser's father confirms that his daughter, a former
Eagle Valley High cheerleader and choir member, has made the allegations
against Bryant. Later in the day, police are called to the neighborhood
to disperse a crowd of reporters who have gathered at the family's home.
July 12.
Discussing the case for the only time publicly, Bryant tells The
Times, "When everything comes clean, it will all be fine, you'll see.
But you guys know me, I shouldn't have to say anything. You know I would
never do something like that."
July 14.
The sheriff and district attorney's offices begin to receive evidence
back from CBI.
July 15.
4 p.m. - The accuser's father says, "You can't say the D.A. hasn't
taken enough time to thoroughly analyze all of this."
July 16
. In their first public appearance since the arrest, Bryant and wife,
Vanessa, attend the ESPY Awards, a made-for-television sports awards
show, at Hollywood's Kodak Theatre.
July 17.
1:30 p.m. - A district judge hears arguments that records pertaining
to two non-criminal police visits to the accuser's home in the last year
be made public. Town manager William Powell acknowledges the visits
could have a bearing on the Bryant case. "There is some indirect
connection," he says. The judge postpones his decision until July 25.
July 18.
3 p.m. - Hurlbert calls a news conference at which he announces that
he has filed a charge against Bryant of felony sexual assault. The
charge carries possible penalties of four years to life in prison, or
probation for 20 years to life.
6 p.m. PDT - Bryant and his wife, Vanessa, appear at a news conference
with Bryant's lawyer, Pamela Mackey. Bryant declares: "I'm innocent."
--
(Ed: Just to illustrate the magnitude of information about Kobe being
torn free and rammed down our throats, check out the following.)
--
http://news.google.com/news?num=30&h...:asia%2ereute=
rs%2ecom%2fnewsArticle%2ejhtml%3ftype%3dsportsNews %26storyID%3d311887
6
Results 1 - 30 of about 1,870
For a look at Kobe, look at Kirby
Chicago Sun Times, IL - 5 hours ago
Todd Jones sat at his desk in Minneapolis on Friday evening, reading
minute-by-minute updates on the Web about Kobe Bryant. An hour ...
IS THIS LAKER A FAKER? ONLY A TRIAL WILL TELL
Chicago Sun Times, IL - 5 hours ago
You never know what's behind the mask. You think you do, but you're
really just a sucker for hype, spin, perception and contrived imagery.
...
Emphasis on infidelity misses the point
San Francisco Chronicle, CA - 4 hours ago
It had to be the worst move Kobe Bryant has ever made in public. In
front of a national TV audience, he turned to his young wife ...
Kobe Bryant: A fallen superstar
Chicago Sun Times, IL - 5 hours ago
After Michael Jordan retired, Kobe Bryant became the hope of the NBA. A
handsome, smart, squared-away kid. A brilliant basketball player. ...
Bryant's image sullied by sex assault charge
Hindustan Times, India - 6 hours ago
Kobe Bryant's claim that he is guilty of nothing more than an adulterous
tryst with a teenage girl may have helped kick start his legal defence,
but it also ...
Kobe not so 'squeaky clean'
Calgary Sun, Canada - 7 hours ago
By AP. It's been that way since he joined the Los Angeles Lakers seven
years ago, fresh out of a suburban Philadelphia high school. ...
Charges filed against Kobe Bryant
Taipei Times, Taiwan - 9 hours ago
Kobe Bryant was charged with sexually assaulting a 19-year-old woman in
a case bound to tarnish the career of one of the NBA's brightest young
superstars.
Residents of Colorado town support Bryant's accuser
San Jose Mercury News, CA - 9 hours ago
By HEATHER LOURIE and MARCIA C. SMITH. EAGLE, Colo. - At the bustling
Eagle Diner, where the customers at the counter have an unobstructed ...
MSNBC - 11 hours ago
Vanessa Bryant shouldn't stand by her man. By Bill Williamson. HOWEVER,
THE JURY is already in on one count. He has made a victim of 21-year-old
Vanessa Bryant. ...
NBA says Bryant can join Lakers for camp
San Jose Mercury News, CA - 11 hours ago
BY MAGGIE HABERMAN AND TRACY CONNOR. NEW YORK - (KRT) - LA Lakers star
Kobe Bryant can continue driving the lane while he prepares ...
Hope on hold for Lakers fans
Sporting News - 11 hours ago
The quote jumped out amid the usual assortment of advertisements for
upcoming eventsand pitches for premier seats on the giant Staples Center
message board ...
Bryant Case Puts Small Town in Spotlight
New York Times - 14 hours ago
EAGLE, Colo., July 19 The officer who obtained the original warrant for
Kobe Bryant's arrest may have taught the woman Bryant is accused of
sexually assaulting
Kobe's future could hinge on believability, image
ESPN - 14 hours ago
On one side is Kobe Bryant, among the world's most recognizable
athletes. Young, successful and classy, Bryant's reputation until ...
Bryant Charged With Sex Assault
Newsday - 15 hours ago
By Greg Logan. Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, the heir apparent
to Michael Jordan as the National Basketball Association's ...
Bryant Case Challenges View of Heroes
Kansas City Star, MO - 18 hours ago
From the moment he joined the NBA, Kobe Bryant cultivated a sparkling
image, free of trouble or even a hint of scandal. Now a sexual ...
Colo. Town No Stranger to Spotlight
San Jose Mercury News, CA - 18 hours ago
EAGLE, Colo. - If Kobe Bryant goes on trial here, it won't be the first
time this rural town of 3,500 has been overrun by reporters. ...
Defensive Kobe uses wrong strategy
MSNBC - 20 hours ago
HE DIDN'T USE the words "rape" or "sexual assault" or any other
qualifier, leaving us to conclude that he meant he wouldn't have sex
with a woman ...
Becker: Bryant case turns on consent, evidence
CNN - 22 hours ago
(CNN) -- The district attorney in Eagle County, Colorado, charged Los
Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant with one count of sexual assault. ...
Bryant charged but proclaims his innocence
Miami Herald, FL - 23 hours ago
By MATTHEW P. BLANCHARD. EAGLE, Colo. - Basketball star Kobe Bryant on
Friday was charged with one count of felony sexual assault ...
Player faces sex charge
The Age, Australia - 23 hours ago
Los Angeles Laker basketball star Kobe Bryant has been charged with
sexual assault, after an alleged incident at a Colorado mountain resort
almost three weeks
Basketball star accused of rape
Melbourne Herald Sun, Australia - 23 hours ago
By MICHAEL McKENNA in Los Angeles. THE man once touted as basketball's
next Michael Jordan was last night charged with sexual assault ...
With future at stake, Lakers star plays the reputation card
San Diego Union Tribune, CA - Jul 19, 2003
Infidelity is regrettable, even reproachable, but rape is repugnant. In
defending himself against a felony charge of sexual assault ...
PRIVATE WORLD PIERCED
San Jose Mercury News, CA - Jul 19, 2003
We do not know what Kobe Bryant has to hide or protect, or why he has
been anxious for so long to keep so many parts of his life from public
view. ...
Bryant's problems are just beginning
Boston Globe, MA - Jul 19, 2003
By Bob Ryan, Globe Columnist, 7/19/2003. Kobe Bryant has led a very
charmed life, but now he's going to find out what trouble is, and ...
Guilty only of adultery, Bryant says
Toronto Star, Canada - Jul 19, 2003
EAGLE, Colo.- Kobe Bryant was charged yesterday with sexually assaulting
a 19-year-old woman in a case bound to tarnish the career of one of the
NBA's ...
DA files charge against Bryant
Seattle Times, WA - Jul 19, 2003
By Los Angeles Times and The Associated Press. EAGLE, Colo. - Kobe
Bryant, one of the most talented and dynamic basketball players ...
Tearful Kobe Bryant says he's innocent of sexual assault charge
San Francisco Chronicle, CA - Jul 18, 2003
His voice quavering, his eyes wet with tears, Los Angeles Lakers
superstar Kobe Bryant clutched his wife's hand tightly and declared that
he did not sexually ...
Charge forever spoils squeaky-clean image
Arizona Republic, AZ - Jul 18, 2003
If Kobe Bryant is convicted of a third-degree felony for allegedly
sexually assaulting a 19-year-old Colorado woman, or his attorneys
negotiate a guilty plea ...
Bryant begs forgiveness from wife and fans
Hindustan Times, India - Jul 18, 2003
Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant made a surprise public appearance
here Friday, where he begged his wife and fans for forgiveness and
denied sexually ...
NBA star denies sexual assault
BBC News, UK - Jul 18, 2003
US basketball star Kobe Bryant has rejected charges that his sexually
assaulting a 19-year-old woman. Bryant fought back tears as ...
--
(Ed: Kinda makes you wonder what the other 1840 results would have
turned up. But the point I'm driving at here is that no attempt was ever
made to keep Kobe's name or reputation out of the media - they jumped on
this one like bull-riders at a rodeo.)
Now we're going to take a slight detour, leave ol' Kobe alone for a
minute, and begin to lay out for you facts collected by an international
network of snoopers about innocent little Katelyn.
--
"The town buzzed with word of her personal difficulties." Can't wait to
see her take the stand.
July 11, 2003
Ugly stage begins
Don Rogers
The going really gets tough from here. Reporters have begun digging into
information that the young woman whom Kobe Bryant allegedly sexually
assaulted has endured a gantlet of personal crises, including this one.
The implications of how emotional blows have affected her before she
bumped into the star basketball player are inescapable, even if
irrelevant to physical evidence and other facts of this case. But
attorneys get paid to win, and will at almost any cost, even if it means
crucifying a teenager.
The tragedy here is that it does not appear that the district attorney
or sheriff had knowledge of this when the sheriff had Bryant arrested in
secret on the Fourth of July before the district attorney had a chance
to decide what, if any, charges to file against Bryant.
Questioned Thursday, District Attorney Mark Hurlbert appeared surprised.
Friday morning he spent quality time at the home of the young woman.
Later, naturally,
he had no comment other than he'd continue to weigh the evidence as it
comes in and decide perhaps next week on where to go from here.
Sheriff Joe Hoy offered another no comment when asked Friday. The bet
from this seat is that he was pretty surprised, as well.
This should not have been. The town buzzed with word of her personal
difficulties. There appear to be records of police contact that the
local department is adamant about not releasing.
The Daily and at least one other publication have asked the Eagle Police
Department for records of any calls to the young woman's home in the
past year as part of their inquiries. The records we seek are not of
criminal nature and were not included in a judge's order to seal the
Kobe Bryant case files. They may or may not be germane to the case.
Still, it's surprising if investigators did not look carefully at past
events in the young woman's life before exposing her to obvious
inquiries by reporters from all over the country - and later, if charges
are filed, by the accused's defense teams.
It's one thing to surprise the district attorney with a premature
arrest, but unconscionable to proceed when the result will be to leave
the woman and her family vulnerable to relatively simple reporting.
Maybe the sheriff and district attorney had no idea, but enough
townsfolk knew enough to set at least some of the press on this path.
The national reporters are good at what they do, and they have covered
tough stories in small towns before. The rule of thumb for authorities
should be that if there's anything in a person's past that may come to
light, they ought to count on it coming out and factor it into their
decisions.
The sheriff does not appear to have considered this when he made his
remarkable decision that brought the circus to town.
--
(Ed: "The ugly stage has begun" - sums it up pretty neat, I'd say. Read
on for more details from the ugly stage.)
--
http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,...527303,00.html
The next morning she told her mother and a friend about what happened,
Bray said.
"It was her mother that knew right away what happened," Bray said. It
was her mother, Bray said, who told the woman, "You were raped."
--
(Ed: Now hold on a minute here. This girl needed her damned MOM to tell
her it was rape? Granted, I'm sensitive to the different forms of rape
and the confusion they engender in the victims, but something is
starting to smell fishy to me.)
--
http://www.abcnews.go.com/sections/G...e_Sidebar.html
"She's kind of in hiding right now," said Starlene Bray on ABCNEWS' Good
Morning America. "She's been back and forth from Denver, kind of trying
to avoid the media and the press right now," she said.
"She did seek some medical help," Bray says. "She knew she needed it, so
she went and got it. She was definitely emotionally fragile, but I don't
think it had anything to do with what happened," she said.
Bray described the young woman as "a good friend, trustworthy,
thoughtful, warm-hearted."
"Well, when I first talked to her, she seemed really distraught in the
fact that it had happened to her," Bray said. "She didn't know what was
going to happen to her. She was just scared," she said.
--
(Ed: As one newsgroup poster put it, ""I'm so scared"...... hey, I got
an idea!!!!! Let's go on vacation!!!!!!! Yah, that's the ticket!!!!!!
go out of your home environment after being sexually assaulted!!!!!!!
That'll really prove I'm "scared".........")
--
More info on Ms. Faber's shaky mental status.
July 11, 2003
Friends: Emotional upheavals strengthen woman
Randy Wyrick
A series of emotional upheavals led to a doctor's care this spring for
the woman accusing Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant of sexual
assault.
According to friends and authorities, the death of her best friend,
coupled with a relationship that ended, led the woman to seek medical
help to deal with her situation.
"She knew she needed help and she got it. Anyone who tries to make it
into something more than that is a liar," said one friend, responding to
rumors of suicide attempts.
--
(Ed: Is something beginning to take shape here? The concept that this
was not some sweet, innocent, mentally stable young woman, but rather
someone who had a history of problems? Read on...)
--
http://www.ledger-enquirer.com/mld/l...ts/6343029.htm
Bryant accuser earlier overdosed amid anguish, friends say
By HEATHER LOURIE and MARCIA C. SMITH
The Orange County Register
EAGLE, Colo. - Everyone here knew her as the popular Eagle Valley Senior
High School cheerleader springing with vibrant spirit and sweet smiles,
as the beautiful singer always ready to perform in school musicals with
the clearest voice and the strongest heart.
But her close friends have been doggedly protecting a secret in the
unnerving days since the 19-year-old woman accused Los Angeles Lakers
All-Star Kobe Bryant of forcing her to have sex with him - a secret that
Bryant's attorneys could use to undermine her credibility, legal experts
say.
Two months before the woman went to the Eagle County Sheriff's
Department on July 1 alleging that Bryant had sexually assaulted her,
the woman suffered under such mental anguish that she overdosed on pills
and was rushed to a hospital, her friends told The Orange County
Register.
"I think it was just a cry for help," said Lindsey McKinney, 18, who
lived at the woman's house in May, when the woman took the pills.
The Register is not naming the woman because of the sensitive nature of
the case.
McKinney was visiting other friends when, at about 2 a.m. one day, she
learned from the woman's ex-boyfriend that the woman had "overdosed."
McKinney rushed to the woman's Eagle home and found the woman
incoherent, lethargic and seemingly drunk.
"I was scared. She wasn't really talking at all," McKinney said. "I was
like, '... you need to open your eyes.'"
Moments later, the woman's parents awoke and called 911. An ambulance
responded and took the woman to a hospital, McKinney said.
Some friends said they thought the overdose was an accident. Not
McKinney.
"I don't think it was accidental. I was there," McKinney said.
The police dispatch call that night is currently sealed from the public
by investigators. The Register's request for the records is the subject
of legal action.
Legal experts say an overdose and the woman's apparent mental
instability could undermine her credibility in what is bound to be a
trial of character, pitting a young, small-town woman against a popular
big-city basketball hero who makes more than $11 million a year selling
his wholesome image.
"This is powerful evidence and the answer to the defense's prayers,"
said Robert Pugsley, a criminal law professor at Southwestern University
School of Law in Los Angeles.
The defense attorneys are "looking for a way to demonstrate that this
woman is hysterical and over-reactive," Pugsley said. "This is literally
dynamite evidence, a bonanza for the defense and a landmine for
prosecution."
Pugsley said this kind of evidence, if exploited by the defense, could
be enough to stop the case before it reaches trial.
"They (Bryant's defense attorneys) could say that her interpretation of
the events is at total odds with what really occurred, which was an act
of mutual intercourse."
Another legal expert said this information could cause the prosecutor to
worry.
"Emotional instability is always of great concern when you are
evaluating a witness's credibility," said Paul Meyer, a former Orange
County homicide prosecutor and criminal defense attorney.
District Attorney Mark Hurlbert, who charged Bryant with one count of a
Class 3 felony sexual assault Friday, was unavailable for comment
Saturday night.
The woman's father declined to comment Saturday.
According to the complaint, Bryant, 24, of Newport Coast, Calif., forced
himself to have sex with the woman against her will June 30 at the Lodge
and Spa at Cordillera, where the woman worked at the front desk and
where Bryant had been a guest from June 30 to July 2.
On Friday, Bryant publicly admitted that he committed adultery with the
woman, but said he is innocent of assault. His attorneys could not be
reached for comment Saturday.
The woman's friends said her difficult year doesn't mean she lied about
the alleged sexual assault.
"I know she had been going through a lot, but I know that she wouldn't
lie," said Ashley Scriver, 19, of Eagle, who also acknowledges the
overdose.
Friends of the woman say she was distraught to have returned home from
her freshman year at the University of Northern Colorado at Greeley to
discover that her ex-boyfriend - her high-school sweetheart - had begun
dating another woman.
"There just seems like there is a lot of things going wrong in her
life," said Tyson Ivie, 18, a classmate, who called the overdose "a big
secret" that friends have been unwilling to talk about until now.
"The police station is holding back information about her," he said.
Around the same time of her overdose, the woman mourned the loss of a
close friend, Nicole Clements, 18, who had rolled her Chevy truck over
in Burns, Colo., while returning from Red Canyon High School graduation
June 1.
"She was going through a lot, but she was strong," said Nicole
McDonough, an Eagle Valley Senior High schoolmate and neighbor of the
woman.
"It was kind of boom, boom, boom," McKinney said, feeling compassion for
her friend.
"I think the things that happened to her in the past had a lot to do
with what (she said) happened that night."
That night, that is, that changed the lives of a young woman and a
basketball superstar forever.
--
(Ed: cracks seem to be appearing in Katelyn's "sweet innocent" facade.)
--
http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,...1523843,00.htm
l
Another friend of the accuser, identified as Lindsey McKinney, said she
believes the overdose was intentional, the Orange County Register
reported Sunday. But Scriver said that's not the case.
"She's not suicidal," the 19-year-old told The Denver Post on Sunday. "I
know that she's a happy person. It's not a cry for help."
Regardless of whether the overdose was intentional, the revelation is a
big advantage for Bryant's defense team, said Craig Silverman, a Denver
trial lawyer.
"This is a dream come true for Kobe Bryant. It equips the defense with a
weapon of mass destruction," said the former Denver chief deputy
district attorney. "Most people who take pills do it intentionally. If
there's somebody who's forcing the pills down your throat, it's a
different story."
Silverman said the fact that the woman reportedly took pills after a
romantic relationship failed will also work to the defense's advantage
because it shows she can respond irrationally to problems with men.
Added to that is the fact that the woman didn't report the incident
until later the next day, Silverman said.
"Normally, the defense would get nowhere arguing that a victim injured
herself," he said, "but when you have an alleged suicide attempt two
months prior, that argument becomes viable."
Another of the alleged victim's close friends, who asked not to be
identified, said Bryant's accuser was disgusted by the basketball star's
tearful public address hours after he was charged with sexually
assaulting her.
"It made her sick to her stomach," said the 18-year-old friend, neighbor
and former classmate. "Especially after coming out and saying he was so
sure that nothing would happen."
"She watches all of it," the friend said. "There is not much else she
can do."
The friend said Bryant's accuser was on duty at work when he arrived at
Cordillera on June 30. A concierge at the upscale lodge, she showed
Bryant to his room and led him on a tour of the lodge, the friend said.
Bryant acted "really cool" during the tour, the friend said the alleged
victim told her.
Scriver said she talks to her friend regularly and the two have
discussed the incident, but she did not give many details. She did say,
however, that she heard that Bryant invited the alleged victim up to his
hotel room.
"She doesn't just put herself in tough situations. Any girl would have
gone up there; I would have gone," Scriver said. "She probably thought,
'Wow, I'm going to meet this famous guy, talk to him, tell my friends
about it.' I don't think she had intentions of anything else."
"If she's guilty of anything, I think it's just being too trusting. Kobe
is very charming and handsome, and it's easy for a 19-year- old to get
swept away by that," Renee Scriver said. "I hear my daughter say, 'I
would have gone up to his room,' and I think, 'I thought I taught you
better."'
--
(Ed: suicide attempts, overdoses, medical attention, drinking games,
bragging about Kobe's penis, just who is this girl anyway?)
--
Wednesday, July 9
Woman accuses Bryant of sexual misconduct
ESPN.com news services
EAGLE, Colo. -- The 19-year-old Colorado woman who accused Los Angeles
Lakers guard Kobe Bryant of sexual assault will come home from a family
vacation to what Eagle County Sheriff Joe Hoy described as
"mind-boggling" media attention.
Hoy confirmed the woman's age Tuesday and said she was on vacation with
her family, but is expected to return this week.
Hoy said he was concerned about the pressure on the woman and frustrated
that there was more attention on Bryant than on her.
"To me, the sad part is if this hadn't been who it involved, this
wouldn't even be a blip on anyone's radar screen," he said. "Personally,
I think they're focusing on our suspect rather than on the victim."
Hoy also said investigators have sent unspecified evidence to the state
Bureau of Investigation for analysis, but refused to discuss other
details of the case. A bureau official would only say the work has
begun.
Prosecutors Monday said they needed more time before deciding whether to
bring charges against Bryant, 24, who is accused of assaulting the woman
at a resort near Vail last week.
"Sexual assault cases are extremely complex and sometimes it takes
awhile to get through everything," Eagle County District Attorney Mark
Hurlbert said Monday. "It may be beyond the end of the week."
He refused to discuss details of the allegations against the five-time
NBA All-Star. Hurlbert said the alleged victim was "doing OK,
considering the circumstances."
Under Colorado law, sexual assault could range from fondling to rape.
Bryant's lawyer said Bryant "expects to be completely exonerated," and
accused the sheriff's office of rushing the case.
Bryant turned himself in to authorities Friday, the sheriff's office
said. The married father of a baby girl was released that day after
posting $25,000 bond.
Officials at the Lodge & Spa at Cordillera, a gated resort in Edwards,
said Bryant stayed there June 30-July 2.
The Cordillera is a sprawling resort that shares heavily forested land
above the town of Edwards with large private homes. The spa boasts a
golf course, pools and a large equestrian center that stand in sharp
contrast to the working-class roots of the town.
Sitting outside an Edwards shopping center, Niko Potts, 40, said he had
heard of the case.
"If he's some major sports star, they always get the short end of the
stick,'' said Potts, a hairdresser who lives in Edwards. "They're
targets. I don't think he's the kind of guy who needs to go around
molesting people."
Bryant's attorney has said he was in Colorado for surgery on his right
knee at Vail's Steadman Hawkins Clinic. No other details were released
by authorities, and the case has been sealed by a judge.
The sheriff's office said Bryant has been cooperative.
Bryant's attorneys accused the sheriff's office of "complete bias" and
said it ignored the wishes of the district attorney in obtaining the
arrest warrant.
"Contrary to the direct instruction of the district attorney's office,
the Eagle County sheriff's office sought and obtained an arrest warrant
... this action illustrates the complete bias of the sheriff's office,"
said Denver attorney Pamela Mackey in a statement released earlier
Monday.
Mackey did not immediately return a call seeking elaboration.
At Monday's news conference, Hurlbert refused to address Mackey's
claims.
"What's done is done," said Hurlbert, standing a few feet away from
Sheriff Joe Hoy, whose office is leading the investigation. "I'm not
going to comment on whether it was prudent or not. A judge found
probable cause."
Hoy said his investigators learned of the case July 1 and spent nearly
30 hours on the case before contacting Bryant. Defense attorneys were
notified on July 3 and Bryant returned to Colorado the next day,
sheriff's spokeswoman Kim Andree said.
"There wasn't any urgency. We felt we were doing the right thing for
everyone involved," Hoy said. "We wanted to give people the time to
themselves to adjust" because of the July Fourth holiday.
Attempts to reach Bryant were not successful, and his whereabouts were
not known.
Lakers general manager Mitch Kupchak said the allegations against his
All-Star guard were completely out of character.
"For the seven years he's been with us, he has been one of the finest
young men we've known and a wonderful asset to both our team and our
community," he said. An NBA spokesman declined comment.
Nike would not comment on Bryant's case.
"We're pleased to work with Kobe Bryant as he is a great player," Nike
spokesman Nigel Powell told ESPN.com. "But since this is a legal matter,
we cannot comment at this time."
Bryant recently signed a five-year endorsement deal with Nike believed
to be worth more than $8 million per year.
After concluding it had enough evidence for a felony sexual assault
charge, the sheriff's office sought the arrest warrant directly from a
judge. In Colorado, police and sheriff's deputies can arrest someone on
suspicion of a crime but only the district attorney's office can file
charges.
Hurlbert said he was aware of the case, but didn't know why authorities
didn't request a warrant through his office. Kim Andree, spokeswoman for
the sheriff, said it is not unusual for authorities to go directly to a
judge and she dismissed speculation of a rift between prosecutors and
the sheriff's office.
Bryant married Vanessa Laine in April 2001. The two met on the set of a
music video where Laine was working, and got engaged while she was still
in high school. Vanessa gave birth to their first child, Natalia
Diamante Bryant, in January.
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
--
(Ed: Well, Sheriff, let me help you out a little here by focusing on
your accuser and not your suspect, as you complained about. Because it
seems to this writer like you've got a hardon against Kobe and are
willing to break protocol and do anything in your power to make an
example of Kobe. Even Potts, who we quoted, doesn't think it sounds
likely. So let's turn our attention away for a second from these
backwoods Deputy Dawgs and hear from a journalist who's got something to
say about Kobe)
--
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/ar...TICLE_ID=33684
I'm with Kobe
Posted: July 22, 2003
1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2003 WorldNetDaily.com
Los Angeles Laker basketball player Kobe Bryant has been charged with
felony sexual assault. This could be the end of his professional
basketball career. It will almost certainly mean great monetary damage
through the loss of commercial endorsements and other opportunities.
I will draw on my experiences representing athletes as an attorney to
share some thoughts with you. Kobe Bryant is an athlete. This means that
he is a target. After virtually every NBA basketball game you will find
women hovering around arena exits who are willing to throw themselves
into bed with almost any athlete that walks out of that door.
Some of these women just want another notch on their garter belt. Some
of them are looking for something more - they're looking for money -
lots of money. Their intention is to lie about birth control and have
unprotected sex with the hope of getting pregnant. They know that having
the child of a wealthy athlete is a guarantee of easy street for at
least 18 years. No work, nice house, nice cars - the works.
Sound harsh? Trust me, these women are out there. The large brain of
every athlete is aware of this fact. Disaster happens when they let the
small brain do all the thinking. These athletes have been warned, but
the testosterone level is almost as high as the hoop. Go have yourself a
good time, then get out your checkbook.
The women who are merely looking for bragging rights of sex with a top
athlete present another danger. That danger comes from the possibility
of feelings of
regret and humiliation, even fear. The danger the athlete faces is
prison.
We have a case in Georgia right now where a high-school athlete has been
sentenced to 15 years in prison for the rape of a classmate. Many who
have studied the case believe this young man to be innocent. He's a
National Honor Society student and scored over 1200 on his SATs. Hardly
the profile of a sexual predator. But, the athlete is black and his
victim was a white girl.
Some, me included, believe that somehow the girl's parents found out
about an episode of consensual sex between the two, or at least the girl
worried that this was about to happen. She was scared to death that her
parents were going to find that she had been dating a young black man.
Her solution? Claim she was raped. This black kid raped her. She then,
in my opinion, stood back and watched this kid go off to 15 years in
prison because she didn't want her parents and friends to find out the
truth.
False accusations of rape are by no means unusual. In some cases, they
are the rule. Eugene Kanin of the Department of Sociology and
Anthropology at Purdue did a study of a small metropolitan community.
The study covered rape allegations over a 9-year period. Dr. Kanin found
that "False rape allegations constituted 41 percent of the total
forcible rapes reported during [that] period."
A Harvard law professor reports that the woman in charge of prosecuting
sexual-assault crimes in New York reported that out of approximately
4,000 rape allegations in Manhattan each year, about one-half of them
just didn't happen. Another study states that 50 percent of all rape
allegations lodged on college campuses in the United States are false.
Bryant is accused of rape in Eagle County, Colo. Eagle County is not
exactly a black Mecca. Kobe Bryant's alleged rape victim is white. My
gut feeling is that the sex was consensual, and then the regret and fear
set in. Then came the rape allegation - an allegation possibly designed
to save face and avoid embarrassment. Now that this matter has gone this
far, perhaps the accuser is frightened - too frightened to step forward
and put a halt to this disaster by telling the truth.
If Kobe Bryant forcibly raped this girl, send him to jail ... for a long
time. If he is being put on trial because some young girl regrets a romp
in the sack with an athlete and is afraid for her reputation, then the
wrong person is going to trial.
In the meantime, we have a good lesson for other athletes out there,
especially the younger ones who are loaded with athletic talent but not
too burdened with judgment and common sense. Those women fawning over
you can be dangerous. Your very freedom may be at jeopardy, not just
your career. While you're doing your thing on the basketball court,
there are predator's eyes watching your every move. Think.
--
(Ed: The race card had to come up at some point, and this gentleman
brings it out of the subconscious and into print.)
--
http://www.latimes.com/sports/basket...e21jul21a,1,4=
218728.story?coll=la-headlines-sports-nba-lakers
Folks around Vail appear insulated from all things Bryant. One day after
the Laker guard was charged, locals and tourists strolled the steep
streets of fashionable Beaver Creek Village, an enclave of resorts and
boutiques five miles west of Vail. A mountain bike race was underway, a
jazz band played outdoors and children frolicked on an ice rink.
"It's almost like [the case] happened in a different part of the
country," says Cindy Osborne, working at Beaver Creek Fine Art Gallery.
"It's a big yawn."
"Everybody wishes the media would just go away," says Lindsey Lucas, a
20-year-old former Eagle Valley High classmate of the accuser who works
delivering flowers. "I want justice for whoever deserves to have justice
served, but we don't want the attention.
The case must wind its way through the justice system, and that means
Eagle County will remain in the spotlight.
"I wish it would all go away, but it won't," says Jon Cornell, another
Texaco regular. "You can't forget about it, but it'd be nice if you
could."
--
(Ed: The hypocrisy here makse my stomach roll. They "wish it would all
go away"? Kobe didn't bring these charges against himself. You choose to
play accuse-a-celebrity in 2003 and the media's going to be on you like
a swarm of bees.)
--
http://www.msnbc.com/news/942322.asp?0cv=CB10
EAGLE, Colo., July 22; The 19-year-old woman who accused Kobe Bryant of
sexually assaulting her attended a party just days before charges were
filed against Bryant and appeared to be in a good mood and "bragging"
about the incident, several teen-agers at the party told NBC News on
Tuesday. Another friend told the Associated Press that the woman had
"visible evidence" of the alleged attack a week later.
THE ALLEGED VICTIM was at a party three days before the charges were
filed and appeared to be in a good mood, NBC News reported, citing five
party attendees.
"She was bragging about it," party host Steve Evancho told NBC News.
The victim described Bryant's anatomy when asked about it at the party,
the host said.
Another friend gave a different impression of the victim, saying she was
still "shaken up" by what happened.
Luke Bray declined to be more specific out of respect for his friend and
her family.
"There is visible evidence of what happened," he said.
Bray, 21, said he saw the woman about a week after the alleged assault
on June 30. "She was still shaken up. She was pretty much in denial," he
said. "She couldn't believe it."
--
(Ed: Does this fit the picture of a traumatized rape victim? Not to me.
So let's take a look next at some cold data on rape accusations.)
--
http://www.anandaanswers.com/pages/naaFalse.html
With the cooperation of the police agency of a small metropolitan
community, 45 consecutive, disposed, false rape allegations covering a 9
year period were studied. False rape allegations constitute 41% of the
total forcible rape cases (109) reported during this period. These false
allegations appear to serve three major functions for the complainants:
providing an alibi, seeking revenge, and obtaining sympathy and
attention. False rape allegations are not the consequence of a
gender-linked aberration, as frequently claimed, but reflect impulsive
and desperate efforts to cope with personal and social stress
situations. [False rape allegations are reported in similar numbers at
college campuses; approximately 50% of rape charges are admitted to be
false by the accuser.]
Currently, the two main identifiable adversaries involved in the false
rape allegations controversy are the feminists and the police. The
feminists are by far the most expressive and prominent on this issue.
Some feminists take the position that the declaration of rape as false
or unfounded largely means that the police do not believe the
complainant; that is, the rape charges are real reflections of criminal
assault, but the agents of the criminal justice system do not believe
them (Brownmiller, 1975; Russell, 1984). Some feminists virtually deny
the existence of false rape accusations and believe the concept itself
constitutes discriminatory harassment toward women (see Grano, 1990). On
the other hand, police are prone to say the reason for not believing
some rape complainants resides in the fact that the
rapes never occurred (Payton, 1967; Wilson, 1978; Jay, 1991). Medical
Examiners lend support to this police position by emphasizing the
ever-present possibility that rape complainants may be lying (Shill,
1969, 1971).
--
(Ed: Despite the utter failure of Katelyn and her legal crew to maintain
a media blackout - except where Kobe is concerned - the same group of
friends who've been our primary source of information are being told to
keep quiet. Why? Is it that they're afraid that the picture being
painted with their info is not the aqueaky-clean anonymous victim-girl
they want to present Katelyn as?)
--
http://www.vaildaily.com/apps/pbcs.d...22/NEWS/307220
101
Friends and family of Kobe Bryant's accuser have some advice for those
continuing to talk to the national media swarming all over the story:
Cut it out.
"I would encourage people to not talk to the media," said Krista
Flannigan, spokeswoman for the District Attorney's Office. "If they have
information, they should give it to the district attorney. The district
attorney is prosecuting the case, not the media."
Flannigan said the alleged victim's family has asked her friends to stop
granting interviews and most have gone along.
"They've contacted some of the friends and asked them not to talk any
more," said Flannigan. "Several interviews were cancelled yesterday."
The mother of one of the alleged victim's friends said it bluntly:
"These kids are not helping," she said. "It's time for these kids to
stop talking, or it's time for their parents to make them stop talking."
Most of the faux pas and gaffs reach District Attorney Mark Hurlbert,
who is prosecuting the case. He also hears the swirling rumors about the
alleged victim and Bryant.
"Friends and so-called friends are apt to say just about anything," said
Hurlbert.
So far, "friends" have discussed with the media the victim's problems
before she was allegedly assaulted by Bryant and some of her outings
afterward.
"If they're "friends' who are talking, you might want to question their
validity," said Flannigan.
Flannigan said local people have good intentions in trying to support
the family and the victim, but the media is savvy.
"People can ask, "How this is going to be used?' They have a right to
know," said Flannigan. "Usually, though, if they're asked a question,
they answer it."
But you don't have to, Flannigan said.
"The safety and well being of the victim are our utmost concern," said
Flannigan. "Our other priority is to maintain Eagle as a viable trial
site. We have to be concerned with it as a venue"
--
(Ed: What follows is commentary on the above newspaper - not the same
author.)
--
http://www.vaildaily.com/apps/pbcs.d...08/NEWS/307090
101
Okay, good article or whatever, but check out the last line again:
"It infuriates me that he is given the benefit of the doubt," says
Redmond. "She's not doing this to get famous, and she's not going to get
wealthy from it."
Again, "It infuriates me that he is given the benefit of the doubt,"
I agree, what is this America or something, innocent until proven
guilty, what kind of bullshit is that?
--
(Ed: See, that's what I'm talking about. This is not "Justice in
America" - this is reality TV that's actually reality. And despite the
city-wide campaign to take a bite out of Kobe, it's pleasing to see that
not everyone in Vail is taking Katelyn's story for much.)
--
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/2011110
"Everybody's still liking Kobe," said J.R. Diaz, store manager at Sports
Treasures in MainPlace.
Sales of Bryant gear have increased dramatically at his store since the
allegations surfaced, Diaz said. In the past two weeks, Sports Treasures
sold 20 to 25 Bryant jerseys, almost twice as many as usual, he said.
"Women make up about 80 percent of those who buy Bryant gear, he said.
"They all come in and get the kid-size jerseys," said Ray Rogalski, the
store's assistant manager. Bryant jerseys have been so popular among
women at Sports Treasures that the smaller sizes are sold out, Diaz
said.
--
(Ed: The following are all quoted posts made from individuals - not
journalists - on the asbnll newsgroup in response to the events.)
--
Kobe has labelled himself as just another young NBA guy living live on
the edge with no regard for consequences to himself or anyone else. Girl
could be lying her ass off, but for this to have gotten this far it's
doubtful Kobe wasn't doing something he shouldn't.
--
Right, what was she doing going into his room if she was not there under
her occupational duties? What did she think was going to happen if she
went in Kobe's room except sex? The problem is that that argument did
not work for Mike Tyson who argued that his victim knew (or should have
known) that she was coming up for sex. That sex was implicit in the
invitation. The other side argued that she was just going up to party
and that an invitation to party is not the same as an invitation for
sex. Tyson lost and went to jail. Kobe's woman could derive a similar
argument. She went in there prospectively to see his video game
collection and instead saw his balls.
--
Some people are saying this is a publicity stunt by NIKE and Kobe, so
that he can sell more shoes for them. Give him that street cred that
he's lacking.
--
Street cred wif da homeys, sell more Nikes. Smack a ho, sell a shoe.
Don't believe for a minute that Nike will drop Kobe because of the
sexual assault charges.
The girl's not 19, she's actually 28, and works for Nike's media
consultants. Taking one for the team, as it were. Apparently, the chief
of police and the DA didn't get their season tickets in the mail yet.
You heard it here first.
--
Innocent men are quick to exonerate themselves in public, something Kobe
has not done yet, instead we have Kobe plotting with his own dream team
of highly overpaid lawyers planning how to keep his ass out of the
slammer and somehow even cash in on all the publicity and improve his
rep on "the street". Sickening if you ask me
--
(Ed: And finally, the one-liner that sums it all up and ties it all
together.)
--
That's how it is now. guilty till proven innocent in a trial by media.
--
============================================
And so ends this jumbled yet connected saga of stories and
counter-stories, privacy invasions and secrets that they don't want
getting out. Once again, let me sum up the two points of this feature,
now that you've had a chance to examine the evidence.
1. Privacy laws, non-disclosure acts, and the like, are fading away in
their effectiveness in the sweeping tide of the internet and its capable
users. You can't keep secrets anymore unless you're John Connor, "living
off the grid." Friends will talk even if you won't. Records are out
there. This is NOT just about a rape case and its participants, it's
about something bigger, a somewhat sluggish and definitely reluctant
admission on the parts of the media controllers that they can't keep
secrets any more. I mean, look at it - what you've got in your hands is
"media" and it's cobbled together from various internet sources. The
mass media is, as Kevin Kelly noted, becoming the mess media. What this
means to you as a conscious human: Fight, fight, fight against any bills
or proposals to limit internet access, to encourage stiffer penalties
for exchanging information. We've been calling this last decade (with
the net as its model) a revolution - well, if this hasn't been one
battle for the revolutionaries to claim, then I don't know what is.
2. The last anonymous one-line quote above says it all. We've moved from
a model where one is innocent till proven guilty in a court of law, to
one where someone is guilty until proven innocent in the trial of public
opinion, in the courtrooms of the media. I can't tell you how to "fight"
this, I just want to make it clear that these changes are happening.
ZAP'S MEDIA RANT
by Zap 25
With mass media firmly in big corporate hands. What are the channels
left to us? Do we "the little people" have the means to reach out to a
significant portion of the population of this planet? Have we ever?
Yes, if I write something down like I do now and send it out like I will
in a minute it can potentially reach billions. Potentially.
But does it really have that potential crowd?
Around a billion people can read this message once it's posted. I'm not
counting on it they will. Even of the 131 Project Mayhem subscribers and
106 Media Jam subscribers, I wonder how many truly read. Even when not
counting the people subscribed under multiple ids.
The internet is a pull market. You pull the info you want off the net.
People try to push information to you, but unless you're interested
you'll ignore it. But how many netizens will use google to search for
articles about things like "freedom", "peace", "basic needs" ... you
know, how many people are interested in the things they take for
granted... the important things that are usually taken for granted.
The things we risk losing or perhaps already lost. So when I write here
how people are unlikely to get unbiased information from NBC or CNN it
probably will not reach the people who watch NBC and CNN. It could be
that they assume news sources are always impartial and independant. Or
maybe they just don't realise
there might be a possibilty news sources aren't.
How many people realise that the media are nearly completely owned by
big corporations. Big corporations operating on many areas of business.
Big corporations that might use their media branch to provide leverage
for their other branches. Not that I expect Yahoo to delete this post if
I critisize them for whatever reason. Or critisize the company that owns
them. Every now and then you do see scandals that originate from these
sources, reports or fakes dropped in newsgroups and on blogs. Funny how
these "rumors" work. If you have the right one it can carry your message
nearly everywhere. Like a virus. The thing is, other than the internet
we don't have much. Maybe you can post a letter to a magazine, call in
on a local tv/radio talkshow to get your 15 minutes of fame.
So on the one hand you have this medium allowing easy access to a
potentially huge audience which is in practice very small. And on the
other hand you have the corporate owned media that are hard to reach and
hardly allow you the real space to get your own message across. Is this
freedom of speech?
Yea, I can say what I want... because frankly, the chance it has any
actual impact is quite small.
-------------------------------------------------------------
MOVIE REVIEW:
Terminator 3 - Rise of the Machines
by Dave Blue
