The tragic events that took place in Steubenville, Ohio last August are still sending shockwaves through the media. The horrific event perpetrated by two 16-year-old males, while others stood by, resulted in their conviction on charges of rape and child pornography. The two boys might have gotten away with the crime had they not incriminated themselves with pictures, messages and videos shared via social media. Additional arrests of two\u00a0juvenile\u00a0girls last weeks resulted when they tweeted threats directed at the victim.<\/p>\n
Social media also played a powerful role by focusing public attention on the events after local authorities were perceived as not aggressively\u00a0pursuing\u00a0the case. The hactivist group Anonymous got involved and threatened to “out” the personal information of all of those even remotely involved with the incident. Making personal information public, also known as “doxing” is a common tactic used by Anonymous to embarras those who are suspected of wrong-doing.<\/p>\n
But the most recent outrage over the Steubenville case is being leveled at the cable news outlet CNN. Anchor Candy Crowley and reporter Poppy Harlow, in reporting the trial and verdict, were perceived as displaying more empathy for the young rapists than the victim. A petition<\/a> demanding an apology already has nearly 300,000 signatures. Here’s the video so you can decide for yourself.<\/p>\n [youtube=http:\/\/youtu.be\/MvUdyNko8LQ]<\/p>\n Clearly there have been several lives ruined by the actions, and inactions, of a great many people. While the two rapists deserve the brunt of the blame and the punishment, there’s plenty of blame to go around: for friends and family members who were passive when they should have been proactive; for the local community and high school that allowed teens to party with alcohol; for an absent father who admitted that he,\u00a0“wasn’t there for [his] son”;\u00a0and for the sex-obsessed culture that devalues women and fuels misogynistic behavior by teen males.<\/p>\n And here’s something to consider. If the party that August night resembled something that the teens might have seen on Jersey Shore or Buckwild, does MTV share in the blame?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The tragic events that took place in Steubenville, Ohio last August are still sending shockwaves through the media. The horrific event perpetrated by two 16-year-old males, while others stood by, resulted in their conviction on charges of rape and child pornography. The two boys might have gotten away with the crime had they not incriminated … <\/p>\n