Reporting on Rape

Analysis:

Both channel 8 and 13 did multiple stories this day and their 11pm stories (posted here) were both over 2 minutes long. Both stations spoke with the same local law enforcement officer, who primarily provided an explanation of what happened to the girl. Viewers should ask themselves how that helps in understanding the story. Is it important to know that “The suspect grabbed her, attacked her…he uh, took her down to the ground and he sexually assaulted her.” (channel 13) Channel 8 did provide some safety tips, but all of these were targeted at the behavior of potential victims, such as “don’t take short cuts through the ally, don’t walk alone, stay on bright light streets,” that kind of thing. All these tips put the focus on the victims, not the perpetrators.

There is certainly nothing wrong with providing tips on how to stay safe, but at the same time what happens is that the attention is taken off the perpetrators. This means that the question why people commit sexual assault doesn’t come up, nor the question of why it is predominantly men committing acts of rape and sexual assault. If journalists explored these questions the public might also be better equipped to protect themselves if they understood the reasons why men commit sexual assault every 6 seconds in this country.

Also important to note is who the TV reporters spoke with besides law enforcement. Channel 13 spoke with 2 residents, not because they were witnesses, but because they just wanted a reaction and WOOD TV 8 spoke with a parent from the school. In both stories, the reaction on the street interviews provided no useful information for viewers and may have contributed to misinforming the public. In the channel 13 piece a resident says “I would never have imagine nothing like that,” referring to the rape. The reporter would have better served the public to speak with a rape crisis counselor or sex assault prevention educator.

Story:

WZZM 13 News reader – Grand Rapids police are looking for a man a 14 year old girl claims raped her on her way to school. The assault happened in an ally near Giddings and Hall Street just before eight o’clock in the morning.

Reporter – The 14 year old says she was using this ally as a short cut from her home on Fuller to Madison Middle School a few blocks away. She says the man grabbed her, knocked her to the ground, and raped her.

Male Resident – It’s kind of crazy. I would never have imagine nothing like that.

Female Resident – It destroys you no matter where you are at. You have to keep your eyes out.

Reporter – The ally where the 14 year old Middle School student says she was attacked says it look like a fairly safe short cut lined with houses and a few businesses nearby. But the businesses weren’t open yet and many of the houses are empty.

Male Resident – There are only 3 houses on this block. Nobody is in this house. This one is up for sale and there is another house there and I think there is only one person in that apartment.

GR Police – The suspect grabbed her, attacked her…he uh, took her down to the ground and he sexually assaulted her.

Reporter – So far police have not located anyone who witnessed the attack. The description provided by the girl could be many people, especially since she said he hid his face.

GR Police – …some type of a face mask that he pulled over his eyes and his nose.

Reporter – The girl was walking to Madison Middle School a few blocks from the ally. The school sent a letter home to parents making them aware of the report. After she says she was attacked the 14 year old continued to school.

GR Police – She went to school. She went directly to school and she did immediately report it to the school authorities.

Female Resident – It is just sad that a 14 year old has to worry about that type of thing. They have to worry about keeping an eye out all the time. I mean, she is walking to school and somebody takes advantage of that. I think it is very wrong.

Reporter – Police say they have picked up a few leads they are now investigating. After she was examined, evidence collected and treated, police say the girl went home to what they call a very supportive family.

Total Time: 2 minutes and 4 seconds

WOOD TV 8 News reader – A 14 year old girl was attacked this morning on her way to class at Madison Middle School. The rape happened near Giddings and Hall just before eight o’clock.

Reporter – Well, teachers, principals and school officials will be out in force tomorrow morning keeping an eye on the kids who walk to school. That’s because they want to make sure that what happened in this ally won’t happen again.

Katie Stotts loves the playground at Madison Middle School. She is oblivious to a four-legged friend when her dad trots by, but Kevin Stotts keeps an eye on his little girl. And he’ll keep his daughter on a short leash after what happen a few blocks away.

Father – And to find out that something like that happened so close to where we live, with so many kids being around is, it’s just awful.

Reporter – Police say a 14 year old walking to Madison Middle thought someone was following her. She ducked into this ally where the man jumped her and raped her.

GR Police – It is extremely rare and when…but it does happen.

Reporter – Police and safety experts say there are several things kids can do to make sure their walk to and from school is a safe one. Walk with someone else or in a group, there is safety in numbers. And be aware of the people around you and your surroundings. And stick to the streets where there is plenty of traffic and people can see you, even if it does cost you that short cut that might save you a few seconds.

GR Public School Safety Official – It’s really common sense stuff, but you’d be surprised how many of our kids don’t think about it. I think often we have to remind kids on the safety tips when an incident happens.

Reporter – Detectives scoured the neighborhood looking for clues and suspects. School officials sent a note to parents telling them to watch out for their kids.

GR Public School Safety Official – Sometimes we think that once they leave the house, that because they have gone to school, that they are safe. Unfortunately incidents like today tell us that is not always true.

Reporter – And while his daughter is too young for school Kevin Stotts will still take that warning to heart.

Father – You should always be acting like that so that when you have something like that happens so close to where you live, naturally you are going to take additional precautions.

Reporter – The girl describes her attacker as a Black man with a dark complexion. He stands 5’9”, is heavy set, he’s 25-30 years old and he wore a black hooded sweatshirt during the attack and had something covering his face. Now if you know anything you think might help detectives crack this case call the Grand Rapids Police Department or Silent Observer.

WOOD TV 8 News reader – Now police are using an online tool to help in their investigation – the Sex Offender registry. We went to the registry ourselves tonight as a matter of fact to find out how many register sex offenders live in the zip code near the intersection of Hall and Giddings, that’s 49506. There are 59 and 15 of those do fit the age and the description the girl gave the police. You can look at the Sex Offender Registry if you are so inclined by going to our webpage at wootv.com. Look for the news links tab at the top of the page.

Total Time: 2 minutes and 49 seconds