Jian Ghomeshi no longer with CBC

[Chill Cosby]

Originally Posted by Tinordi

I hope those who were quick to question the victims are doing some real reflecting right now. Ridiculous that it takes 8 women for everyone to come around.

Quite frankly, I wouldn't have much interest in a world where people took an anonymous claim(s), posted by one source, as gospel.

The lesson here isn't "don't question victims," it's "don't be definitive in your conviction" and that works for both sides. Don't exonerate someone without the full story, and don't condemn them either.

For me, it wasn't the number of women that took me off the fence, it was the varied sources from which those anonymous claims were coming from.

[Zevo]

Originally Posted by Bagor

I don't know if this applies to me or not but I will admit to questioning why they are giving these statements to the media and not to the police.

In fact I still am. Why are these women not giving police statements but willing to speak to the media?

Do not confuse the above with disbelieving them.

Because if they go to the police, they are not anonymous anymore. They have their lives opened up and dissected by the media, public, everyone and anyone. People they don't even know call them liars and gold-diggers or jilted ex-lovers. I can't even imagine to be honest.

[afc wimbledon]

Originally Posted by Bagor

Clearly you should take your own advice and mind your own business before judging and maybe consider that I have had more closer experience with a victim of sexual assault than you will ever know. And that the individual went to the police and through the justice process hence the questioning.

But, sure buddy. I'll bow to you and the "many articles" you have read.

Answer the question then. Why are these ladies preferring the media over the police?

I suspect the answer to that is a combination of factors, if they are media (and most of them were) regardless of outcome their career is finished, most of the allegations while reprehensible and undoubtedly criminal are on the lower end of assault, it's only when you add the pattern together everyone gets outraged, in fact most posters here were suggesting this was an unfair witch hunt when it was just the one or two allegations.

I can only imagine what a woman's life would be like online after making an allegation on her own against half the countries golden boy.

[Jets4Life]

[kerriffic]

So speaking of his teddy bear that the women accusing him brought up, and also the bigearsteddy twitter account. Did anyone notice the acknowledgement to the (I assume) bear in his memoir 1982? It says

"To my fluffy, dutiful travelling companion, big ears. "

This whole thing with the bear seems incredibly bizarre and creepy.

[Bagor]

Originally Posted by afc wimbledon

I suspect the answer to that is a combination of factors, if they are media (and most of them were) regardless of outcome their career is finished, most of the allegations while reprehensible and undoubtedly criminal are on the lower end of assault, it's only when you add the pattern together everyone gets outraged, in fact most posters here were suggesting this was an unfair witch hunt when it was just the one or two allegations.

I can only imagine what a woman's life would be like online after making an allegation on her own against half the countries golden boy.

I agree except for the bolded part.

I'm still trying to understand why are they choosing to go the media route as opposed to the justice route?

Originally Posted by Zevo

Because if they go to the police, they are not anonymous anymore. They have their lives opened up and dissected by the media, public, everyone and anyone. People they don't even know call them liars and gold-diggers or jilted ex-lovers. I can't even imagine to be honest.

Not necessarily true.
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014...anonymous.html

And I don't disagree with what you are saying but if you're going to run the risk of exposing yourself why choose the media over the police?

I'm going to throw an answer out there. Could it be the preferred simpler method of revenge?

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by Bagor

I agree except for the bolded part.

I'm still trying to understand why are they choosing to go the media route as opposed to the justice route?

Not necessarily true.
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014...anonymous.html

And I don't disagree with what you are saying but if you're going to run the risk of exposing yourself why choose the media over the police?

I'm going to throw an answer out there. Could it be the preferred simpler method of revenge?

Maybe you should try actually reading the thread. This question has been asked and answered multiple times already.

[Jets4Life]

Originally Posted by Bagor

I agree except for the bolded part.

I'm still trying to understand why are they choosing to go the media route as opposed to the justice route?

Not necessarily true.
http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014...anonymous.html

And I don't disagree with what you are saying but if you're going to run the risk of exposing yourself why choose the media over the police?

I'm going to throw an answer out there. Could it be the preferred simpler method of revenge?

[Bigtime]

Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch

Indefensible

And really weird with the teddy bear thing.

Originally Posted by Boo Radley

Hidden camera?

The "nanny camera" in the teddy bear seems to be a theory going around (at least on social media).

[SeeGeeWhy]

Originally Posted by Bagor

I don't know if this applies to me or not but I will admit to questioning why they are giving these statements to the media and not to the police.

In fact I still am. Why are these women not giving police statements but willing to speak to the media?

Do not confuse the above with disbelieving them.

Maybe because having abusive partners has been so common for them that they don't view the actions as criminal?

[Handsome B. Wonderful]

Originally Posted by Bagor

Clearly you should take your own advice and mind your own business before judging and maybe consider that I have had more closer experience with a victim of sexual assault than you will ever know. And that the individual went to the police and through the justice process hence the questioning.

But, sure buddy. I'll bow to you and the "many articles" you have read.

Answer the question then. Why are these ladies preferring the media over the police?

Hey everybody, we're wrong. Bagor's single piece of anecdotal evidence clearly outweighs all the other facts.

[corporatejay]

Media is anonymous. These people have lives. I'm sure they don't want the attention.

[Ducay]

Originally Posted by corporatejay

Media is anonymous. These people have lives. I'm sure they don't want the attention.

They went to the media because they don't want attention. Good one!

[Bigtime]

Jian just posted this on facebook:

I want to thank you for your support and assure you that I intend to meet these allegations directly.

I don’t intend to discuss this matter any further with the media.

https://www.facebook.com/jianghomesh...52363515246750

[rubecube]

Originally Posted by Ducay

They went to the media because they don't want attention. Good one!

Paging "This_post_is_terrible."

[fatso]

Originally Posted by Chill Cosby

Quite frankly, I wouldn't have much interest in a world where people took an anonymous claim(s), posted by one source, as gospel.

The lesson here isn't "don't question victims," it's "don't be definitive in your conviction" and that works for both sides. Don't exonerate someone without the full story, and don't condemn them either.

For me, it wasn't the number of women that took me off the fence, it was the varied sources from which those anonymous claims were coming from.

I love a finger-wagging "told you so" party as much as the next, but I have to agree. Again, The Star itself said it couldn't originally determine the veracity of any of the allegations so they elected to not print the story.

It is true that it takes a hell of a lot of courage for someone like Lucy to come out and put her name on this terrible ordeal. But make no mistake - that totally changes the substance and strength of the allegations in our process. (and yes, the process is absolutely open to criticism).

Relatedly, I do not agree that this thread was as victim-unfriendly, as some may be implying. I haven't gone back over the whole thread, but I'm having a tough time remembering who was "criticizing" the women for going to the press or calling their stories false simply because they didn't go to the police. I am sure someone one will prove me wrong on that though.

[Resolute 14]

Originally Posted by GGG

How is it that the Toronto Star has become the last great source of real investigative journalism. They got both rob ford and now Ghomeshi. All this from what people used to consider a tabloid rag

Generally unrelated to Jian, but the transformation of the Toronto Star is pretty incredible. I had held that paper to the same level of esteem as the New York Post and the National Enquirer, particularly after their all-white sports department ran a hit piece on the Blue Jays in the late 90s, accusing the team of being racist for supposedly lacking racial diversity. That hatchet job wasn't the work of one person, either. Five or six writers took part, each of them a middle-aged white male himself.

The Star has come a long way since. Even if their online commenters are still the left wing equivalent of Fox/Sun News.

[Regular_John]

Originally Posted by Ducay

They went to the media because they don't want attention. Good one!

Or in another distinct possibility... the media went to them.

Reporter: "Hi I'm [Toronto Star Reporter] and I'm investigating some claims about a popular CBC host that you may have dated"
Victim: "Oh umm, yeah I don't wanna talk about that"
Reporter: "Well the accusations against him are pretty inflammatory, we've talked to 2-3-4... SEVEN other woman who claimed he was violent towards them."
Victim: "... ok let's meet"

At this point there's very little doubt the guy is guilty in my eyes. The day you're the victim of sexual assault and violence you can choose how to handle it. But for stop now trying to poke holes in these woman's story because you think it's easy to go the police in cases like this.

[ae118]

What kind of woman doesn't report sexual assault?

http://m.huffpost.com/ca/entry/6059124

[flylock shox]

Originally Posted by Resolute 14

Generally unrelated to Jian, but the transformation of the Toronto Star is pretty incredible. I had held that paper to the same level of esteem as the New York Post and the National Enquirer, particularly after their all-white sports department ran a hit piece on the Blue Jays in the late 90s, accusing the team of being racist for supposedly lacking racial diversity. That hatchet job wasn't the work of one person, either. Five or six writers took part, each of them a middle-aged white male himself.

The Star has come a long way since. Even if their online commenters are still the left wing equivalent of Fox/Sun News.

The Star has now worked its way into my regular rotation. Has a great mobile/tablet interface too.

They really seem to have some bloodhounds on staff these days.