In an era of partisan media bias, local journalists are demonstrating the “real journalistic skills”, such as scouring court files and talking to law enforcement, are essential to uncovering the truth. The Columbus Dispatch journalist, Bethany Brunner, was the only reporter in the courtroom on the day the rape suspect was arrested.
Bruner found the court case on the county clerk’s website, and in the courtroom, police confirmed that the suspect had confessed and that the young victim had gone to Indiana for an abortion, according to Nicole Carroll, president of Gannett’s news division and editor-in-chief of USA Today. . Told.
The chain of events underscores the importance of local news, Carroll said.
CNN political analyst Natasha Alfred said the case is a clear example of the effects of partisan media behavior, which has led many Americans to expect their news source of choice to confirm what they already believe.
“What was horrifying was that people went on television and cast doubt on the story without even attempting to ascertain the facts,” Alfred said.
a medical story
Miscarriage is a medical matter, but when doctors share stories with journalists, the accounts are out of date and the details can be difficult to confirm. Patient confidentiality is also paramount, and many rape victims do not want to subject themselves to the glare of the media.
It can be challenging for healthcare providers to speak up even in this media landscape.
Fox’s Jesse Waters posted Bernard’s face on his show, suggesting she may have been part of a coverup.
Wilkinson said she wants to focus media coverage on the wider landscape of abortion access. She’s a pediatrician, not an abortion provider, but is still nervous about practicing medicine in Indiana.
“Unfortunately, it’s not uncommon where focusing on this one story is a problem,” Wilkinson said. “I wish the focus was not on just one patient, but on the many patients who struggle to access abortions every day, long before the Supreme Court’s decision to hear.”
