Tuesday, March 19, 2013

CNN Reporter Labeled 'Rape Apologist' After Steubenville Comments

A CNN segment on the Steubenville rape trial verdict sparked online backlash Sunday, including accusations that one of its reporters is a "rape apologist."

The outrage centered on an exchange between anchor Candy Crowley and reporter Poppy Harlow on CNN's State of the Union. After a judge found Trent Mays and Ma'Lik Richmond, two members of Steubenville High School's football team, guilty of raping a 16-year-old girl, Crowley told Harlow, "I cannot imagine having just watched this on the feed coming in. How emotional that must have been sitting in the courtroom."

Harlow, who was reporting from Steubenville, OH, responded as follows (click here for the entire transcript):

"I've never experienced anything like it, Candy. It was incredibly emotional â€" incredibly difficult even for an outsider like me to watch what happened as these two young men that had such promising futures, star football players, very good students, literally watched as they believe their life fell apart."

Mays, 17, and Richmond, 16, were sentenced to a minimum of one year in juvenile prison, according to the AP. Mays must serve an additional year for photographing the victim naked.

Crowley later asked CNN legal contributor Paul Callan how the verdict would affect the two boys. Her question and Callan's response that "it will have a lasting impact" led some online commenters to accuse CNN of "sympathizing with rapists."

The public expressed their outrage on Twitter, condemning CNN, Crowley and particularly Harlow. Women's groups and other journalists were among those who spoke out.

A Change.org petition demanding CNN to "apologize on air for sympathizing with the Steubenville rapists" began circulating online shortly after a YouTube video of the segment, above, went viral.

Poppy Harlow and CNN did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Screenshot image courtesy of YouTube, TheSublimeDegree

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