Friday, December 2, 2011

Mainstream and Sexual Abuse

Both Penn State and Syracuse have been hit hard by recent child abuse allegation. The tragic sexual abuse of young boys many of whom were at risk came as a shock to the nation.

But some people in media may have known about this years before and never said a single word.

According to an article recently posted by yahoo, ESPN and The Syracuse Post Standard have, for the past eight years, possessed a tape that alleged Bernie Fine, a Syracuse basketball coach sexually abused a teenage boy.

The tape is conversation between Fine's wife and the boy who was abused where it seems as if she knew about the abuse.

Both outlets released the tape on Nov. 27th, well after the abuse allegations of both Sandusky from Penn State and Fine were out and open in the media.

Both outlets said that they didn't release the tapes or do a story on them because they couldn't verify the truth of the allegations at the time.  However, neither outlet reported the tapes to the police.  Which is scary.  The fact that they knew that there was possible sexual abuse was going on and they did nothing to help these boys.

I think as a media source we have an obligation to protect minors from those who can hurt them, especailly if we know it's going on.  I find it disgusting that ESPN and the Post-Standard would allow not knowing if it was true to stop them from reporting it. They could have saved so many other young people and they didn't.  They dropped the ball.  They ignored a chance to be a hero.

With a new Penn State accuser this is the time for the media to step up and give all the info that they know.

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