Pundits are reacting mercilessly on Twitter following Rolling Stone‘s monumental retraction of its “A Rape on Campus” story published last month, which caused the University of Virginia to suspend all fraternity activity on campus.
Many speculated that the retraction will spur increased skepticism of sexual assaults on college campuses:
Because one reporter didn’t do her job adequately rape survivors on campuses across the country will be met with even more skepticism.
— Olivia Nuzzi (@Olivianuzzi) December 5, 2014
Don’t become a fucking reporter if you’re not willing to let the facts get in the way of a great story. — Olivia Nuzzi (@Olivianuzzi) December 5, 2014
Tragedy about Rolling Stone article not standing up to scrutiny is the risk that many genuine testimonies about rape will not be believed
— Paul Danahar (@pdanahar) December 5, 2014
My rapist denied it. Does that mean there are “discrepancies” in my story too? #UVA — Zerlina Maxwell (@ZerlinaMaxwell) December 5, 2014
I mean I think this could all be solved if they just required fraternity brothers to wear body cameras #SnarkRage #UVA
— Zerlina Maxwell (@ZerlinaMaxwell) December 5, 2014
The obvious glee expressed over @RollingStone‘s retraction of the #UVA story is exactly why more rape survivors don’t tell their stories. — Andi Zeisler (@andizeisler) December 5, 2014
A Buzzfeed White House reporter countered that skepticism will only play out if we allow it to happen:
let’s slow down on the “now no rape victims will ever be believed” stuff lest we make it a self-fulfilling prophecy
— E McMorris-Santoro (@EvanMcSan) December 5, 2014
Others took shots at the media itself:
Old journalism truth: An error in an anecdote will completely obscure the reality of a trend. — Binyamin Appelbaum (@BCAppelbaum) December 5, 2014
From Trayvon to Ferguson to #UVA to Lena Dunham… Well done, media.
— John Nolte (@NolteNC) December 5, 2014
Hasten to add, everyone should be applying skepticism to Phi Psi's own claims here and attempting to confirm those independently as well.
— Christopher Hayes (@chrislhayes) December 5, 2014
"Discrepancies" in @RollingStone's "Jackie" story are about the journalist's reporting process, not an excuse to mar rape victims' accounts
— Elyssa Cherney (@ElyssaCherney) December 5, 2014
Instead of throwing its source under the bus, Rolling Stone should have detailed the failings of its reporter.
— jasoncherkis (@jasoncherkis) December 5, 2014
The focus here needs to be Rolling Stone blew it and not "rape victims are probably liars."
— Alex Halpern (@HalpernAlex) December 5, 2014
And some were just scathing:
Congrats to Phi Kappa Psi for your acquisition of Rolling Stone. — Erick Erickson (@EWErickson) December 5, 2014
When @RollingStone isn’t making terrorists into teenage heart throbs they are publishing totally fake rape stories. #rollingstone
— David Portnoy (@stoolpresidente) December 5, 2014
Getting the facts right is Rolling Stone’s responsibility. Not Jackie’s. You don’t write the story until everything is accounted for. — Eric Kolenich (@EricKolenichRTD) December 5, 2014
Too many sexual assaults go unreported because the victims are afraid or ashamed. Rolling Stone's incompetence has made that harder to fix.
— Alex Halpern (@HalpernAlex) December 5, 2014
Not to mention Rolling Stone has now diverted everyone's attention away from Eric Garner and Ferguson when it's still needed most.
— Alex Halpern (@HalpernAlex) December 5, 2014
And Mediaite’s Josh Feldman sums it up for us in just ten words:
This has been an interesting two days for the press.
— Josh Feldman (@feldmaniac) December 5, 2014
[Featured image via screengrab]
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[Note: Mediaite intern Andrew Desiderio is a student at The George Washington University.]
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