Unless of course the suspects are white….–Ed.
In a follow-up story, The New York Times has offered new context while also repeating some of the same mistakes it made in its previous coverage of an 11-year-old Texas girl who was allegedly raped by 19 young men.
The story published Tuesday features an exclusive interview with the girl’s father and provides details of the six attacks authorities say occurred over several months.
The report also describes the sixth-grader’s home and family environment. It identifies the ethnicity of the girl but not the race or ethnicity of the suspects, who were described in the story as “an eclectic group of young men.” Some say the men have been targeted because they are African-American.
… . If the Times, like other news organizations, had addressed the racial tensions, then it would have made sense for the story to include both the ethnicity of the victim and the race of the suspects. But why mention just the victim’s race or ethnicity? And how might the inclusion of the victim’s ethnicity perpetuate stereotypes or affect readers’ perception of her and her family?