The Importance of a Free And Independent Press
Protected by the 45 word First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution, an independent press is one of the essential pillars of a democracy, charged with the important tasks of keeping the public informed and safe from secret, authoritarian (and inept) government, and any and all forms of tyranny. Today, the U.S. press is under unprecedented attack. According to Reporters Without Borders, the U.S. ranks only 43 out of 180 countries on The World Press Freedom Index. Think about that; 42 countries in the world afford their press greater freedom than does the United States.
It is incumbent upon all Americans to protect a free press. But freedom of the press is not absolute. As such, it is imperative that our press act responsibly and police its own standards and actions so that others do not gain leverage to do it for them. To use cries of “fake news” to compromise a responsible and free press.
The All Too Frequent Failure of The Press to Responsibly Self-Govern
The responsibility of an independent press comes in all sizes and shapes. It’s obvious and easy to castigate the press when it irresponsibly attacks our representatives, our government. But what about when it irresponsibly condemns our individual citizenry? Or worse still, injures their children?
A picture is worth a thousand words. So is a concrete example.
Robin Abcarian
Robin Abcarian writes a column for the Los Angeles Times. I admit that I don’t particularly care for her writing. No, not her grammar or her style. But rather her judgment. Or, more precisely, her lack of judgment. (And that of her editors as well, who presumably have the authority, the opportunity and the responsibility to overrule her poor judgment.)
Kobe Bryant
Most everyone knows that Kobe Bryant is one of the best professional basketball players of all time. But, perhaps less known, he is much more. He is worldly. He is thoughtful. He is articulate. He is fluent and well spoken publicly in at least two languages, English and Italian. And barely one year after retiring from professional basketball, he wrote and produced a documentary film that was nominated to possibly win–and did win–an Oscar. How many people have achieved what Kobe Bryant has?
Abcarian on Bryant
Just a few days before the 2018 Academy Awards this past Sunday, Abcarian wrote a column criticizing the Academy for “inconsistently” supporting women’s rights and the #MeToo cause. How was the Academy inconsistent? It has drummed out Harvey Weinstein, but not Roman Polanski and not Kobe Bryant. Who is responsibly going to compare Weinstein, Polanski and Bryant in one breath? As Abcarian did in her column.
Tens of women (if not hundreds of women)–highly credible women–have accused Weinstein of a pattern or sexual abuse up to and including rape over tens of years. Although innocent until proven guilty, the evidence against Weinstein is compelling, to put it mildly.
And Roman Polanski? He drugged, raped and sodomized a 13 year old girl. He was tried and convicted of these crimes. And then fled the United States to avoid imprisonment. Had Abcarian stopped there, just pointing out the hypocrisy of the Academy in expelling Weinstein while (previously) awarding Polanski an Oscar, she’d be on pretty solid ground–whether or not the eligibility rules for winning an Oscar contains a morals clause or a requirement that a nominee not be guilty of a felony. (I have no idea what the Oscar eligibility requirements are.) However, it is likely that some, if not many, who voted to expel Weinstein from the Academy previously voted to award Polanski his Oscar. We take Heisman Trophy’s away after the fact when inappropriate behavior is discovered. I haven’t noticed any movements on the part of the Academy to revoke Polanski’s Oscar.
So, to this extent, Abcarian has a legitimate point–at least if Polanski’s reprehensible conduct violates any Academy rules, which I would certainly like to think is the case. But Kobe Bryant?
What crime has Bryant been convicted of–now some 15 years ago? Where’s all the evidence that he committed any crime other than adultery? Which he admitted. Does adultery violate any Oscar eligibility rules? When it comes to adultery in Hollywood, Bryant just might be in “good” company! (I don’t know that for sure; just . . . saying, or speculating, but at least I admit it when that’s all I got. Are you listening Ms. Abcarian?)
Only one person ever accused Bryant of rape, and she backed down and wouldn’t testify. Was she credible? When there was physical evidence that she slept with three different men in a 24 hour period, one of those incidences only 15 hours after Kobe supposedly raped her? Did Bryant force her to have sex with another person, a complete stranger to Bryant, barely 15 hours after she was supposedly raped and upset? Did Bryant force her to go up to his room all alone? Which she admits she did of her own free will. Did Bryant force her to engage in consensual “petting” with him in his room? Which she admits she did of her own free will. What evidence is there, “beyond a reasonable doubt” under these circumstances, that Bryant unilaterally forced himself on her as opposed to the two of them engaging in mutually consensual sex?
Does this mean Bryant didn’t rape her? No, it doesn’t. But what it does mean is that this “victim’s” testimony under the circumstances would hardly have been credible, and would hardly have obtained a conviction. And, at the end of the day, she took the money and ran instead of standing up for her questionable virtue. So, where was Abcarian when “innocent until proven guilty” in a court of law by a jury became the cornerstone of our judicial system? Where does Abcarian come off accusing Bryant of rape? And comparing Bryant to Weinstein and Polanski? Bryant’s victim was 19, legally able to consent. Polanski’s victim was 13, legally unable to consent.
Abcarian rationalizes her conviction of Bryant because he paid his “victim” an undisclosed amount of money to settle her civil claims against him? Why else, she says, would Bryant have paid her off? At the same time, however, Abcarian has no problem ignoring Bryant’s supposed victim’s refusal to testify. She just didn’t want to be embarrassed, etc. by Bryant’s testimony–and the tangible evidence that she slept with three different men in 24 hours encompassing Bryant’s and her assignation. Why is it any less likely that Bryant settled because he didn’t want to be embarrassed, etc. by her testimony, compounding his admission of adultery in a marriage he wanted to–and did–save?
Abcarian is a perfect example of irresponsible journalism. Her editors are a perfect example of the same.
But Abcarian’s Dereliction Is FAR Worse
Bryant has spent 15 years making amends–to his wife. They have three daughters, ages 15, 11 and 2. The two older daughters are now old enough to suffer mightily by Abcarian (and other media personnel as well) irresponsibly dragging their father through the ringer all over again. Their classmates are old enough to embarrass the 15 year old and the 11 year old daughters endlessly. Was this really necessary? Did Abcarian need to do this–to visit the supposed sins of the father on his children–to the two older Bryant children? Just to get a story? Couldn’t she have made her point solely with Weinstein and Polanski?
And what other irresponsible journalist(s) like Abcarian and her editors will see fit to revisit all of this again when the 2 year Bryant daughter old is old enough to suffer through this all over again, in another 10 years or so, some 25 years after Bryant will have presumably continued to live the model life he has for the past 15 years?
It may be that Bryant and his wife, Vanessa, will have to explain this history to their children no matter what. But shouldn’t they be able to do so in the privacy of their family? As they see fit and when they choose? Aren’t we ever so thankful that Abcarian was there to watch out for and protect our interests? Because, undoubtedly, we couldn’t somehow do that for ourselves?
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