How some media have adopted the discredited story of Jussie Smollett



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The Chicago police superintendent made no effort to conceal his fury as he denounced Jussie Smollett for "heinous" conduct by falsely claiming to be the victim of a homophobic and racist attack.

He also had a few words of choice for the media to exaggerate the melodrama.

"I only wish that families who are victims of gun violence in this city receive so much attention," Eddie Johnson said.

It always seems incredible that a star of the show "Empire" on the Fox Channel "" will blow up his career and traumatize his city for what the cops say is an effort to force his bosses to give him a increase. And that left his supporters looking for something to say.

At a televised press conference, Johnson was shown to be extremely forceful, claiming that he had to divert valuable resources to investigate what was portrayed as a hate-motivated crime and that he was not the best. it has turned out to be a hateful hoax.

"Why would anyone – especially an African American man – use the symbolism of a noose to make false accusations?" Johnson asked. "How could anyone look at the hate and suffering associated with this symbol and see the opportunity to manipulate this symbol to improve its public profile?"

And it was a hoax with a political twist since Smollett claimed that his fake assailants – two Nigerian brothers he had hired – had shouted that it was "a MAGA country". This fed into a corrosive narration, which some journalists and commentators have all too quickly imagined, that Trump's supporters wandered around the streets with a rope, trying to hit a well-known black man.

JUSTICE SMOLLETT RETURNS TO THE EMPIRE AFTER HAVING BEEN ARRESTED FOR THE ATTACK

Indeed, the president, who once called the attack supposedly "horrible", tweeted about the defamation of his supporters of Make America Great Again. "What about MAGA and the tens of millions of people you insulted with your racist and dangerous comments !?"

So many things did not feel right from the start. The journalists had no choice but to report the terrifying charges brought by a television actor, especially when the Chicago police said that she was seriously investigating the case as a possible hate crime.

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In my opinion, most media outlets were restrained in attributing the allegations to Smollett – and the comments to the cops – after TMZ revealed the case. And when the red flags emerged – for example, why Smollett was slow to call the police and hesitated to return his phone – these were also reported.

But some journalists and experts quickly used the alleged incident to score political points.

Karen Attiah, editor-in-chief of Washington Post Global Opinion:

"With regard to @JussieSmollett's heinous attack, a further reminder that Trump's ancestry and the resulting climate of hate has meant that lives are increasingly at risk since 2015."

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Buzzfeed writer Kevin Fallon tweeted: "Anyone who thinks to support You know who does not mean to supply artillery to armed sectarianism must look closely in the mirror."

Fallon made a follow-up post: "I've removed the previous inaccurate tweets as new articles on Jussie Smollett come out." What a heinous act if the updates are true: exploit and amplify hatred , division and politicization, it is all the more difficult for victims to report. "

Don Lemon said that he called Smollett every day to find out how he was doing. And CNN's host did not condemn him to the letter.

"If Jussie's story is not true," he told viewers, "he has wasted the goodwill of many people, and he has even lied to a lot of people if Is not true, including me, and it's not cool. "

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Not cool does not begin to describe it.

What is not cool either, it is the journalists who not only hastened to judge, but rushed to use the alleged beat against Trump. In fact, there has been a lot of courage in judgment lately, and few things precious in terms of introspection.

Eddie Johnson called Jussie Smollett to apologize. Some media should also follow this advice.

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