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After 10 Years of Investigating the Penn State Scandal, Here Is What the Case Taught Me About the Modern Media
Mediaite ^ | November 8, 2021 | John Ziegler

Posted on 11/13/2021 2:43:48 PM PST by TBP

For most of the past decade, I have been, almost entirely on my own, deeply investigating the entire case, to the point where it is not an exaggeration to say I know more about it than anyone, including Sandusky himself. What I have found has been the most shocking, depressing, and excruciating experience of my already eventful career, because I eventually became, very much against my own self-interest, completely convinced that, believe it or not, the media got this story catastrophically wrong and that those convicted at Penn State, including Sandusky himself, should not have been.

This column is not about trying to convince anyone of this conclusion. I have co-hosted a podcast called, “With the Benefit of Hindsight,” which features at least 25 hours of often mind-blowing, raw and exclusive interviews with many of the primary figures in the case, including two of the administrators who went to jail (the podcast was inspired in part by author Malcom Gladwell writing a chapter in his best-selling book, “Talking to Strangers,” which largely focused on my work).

My purpose here is to document some of the important things I have learned about the news media throughout this ordeal. Here are those lessons, many of which have served me well in evaluating both the Trump and Covid media eras, and may be more significant and relevant than even the massive injustice which I am positive occurred in this Greek tragedy.

(Excerpt) Read more at mediaite.com ...


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; Editorial; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: media; pennstate
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To: TBP

That was quite a story.


41 posted on 11/13/2021 5:01:26 PM PST by ImJustAnotherOkie (Let's go Brandon)
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To: ealgeone

Wow did you just come up with that? Very clever!


42 posted on 11/13/2021 5:10:20 PM PST by pghoilman (Earth First. We'll drill the rest of the galaxy later.)
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To: EEGator

Paterno did NOT know inasmuchas he had NO idea of WHAT pedophilia was, according to newspapers at the time,


43 posted on 11/13/2021 5:27:46 PM PST by Safetgiver (Stupid man Bad.)
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To: Safetgiver

Unless I’m misreading your post, are you telling me a 70 y/o had never heard of a man raping children?
He’s Catholic right?


44 posted on 11/13/2021 5:32:49 PM PST by EEGator
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To: Paladin2

F
U


45 posted on 11/13/2021 5:34:22 PM PST by pghoilman (Earth First. We'll drill the rest of the galaxy later.)
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To: Paladin2

F
U


46 posted on 11/13/2021 5:34:54 PM PST by pghoilman (Earth First. We'll drill the rest of the galaxy later.)
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To: EEGator

You are not wrong. Paterno was flabbergasted that people had sex with children. I don’t know if he was Catholic or not but he was highly shocked when he heard of this.


47 posted on 11/13/2021 5:50:16 PM PST by Safetgiver (Stupid man Bad.)
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To: EEGator
I recall those rumors, but always gave Urban the benefit of the doubt. I used to follow college ball very closely. Rumors like that are used to turn recruits from one school to another. I also gave Paterno the benefit of the doubt. He did not get along with Sandusky for years. Paterno also fired Sandusky before the rumors started. My general opinion about Paterno is that he had become a figurehead coach, a CEO and delegated most responsibilities. He wasn't to be seen in lockerrooms outside GameDay. He was seen in his office, meeting rooms and one the sideline, whether it be for practice or games. There was a stretch of 10 or so years at the end where he was aloof and out of touch with what as going on in a lot of things.

I don't think Paterno knew what was going on with Sandusky. Why would he pay attention to a guy he didn't like, wasn't with the football program and just had access to athletic facilities as part of his severance from his coaching job?

48 posted on 11/13/2021 5:59:44 PM PST by ConservativeInPA ("Goats are like mushrooms. Because if you shoot a duck, I'm afraid of toasters." - Joe Biden)
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To: LoveUSA

My memory is that Sandusky’s wife was criticized at the time.
But it seems reasonable to believe Sandusky’s wife was dependent on her husband, under his control, and intimidated. The adopted son was likely intimidated by him, and had zero power over his conduct. OTOH, Paterno could fire, ban from campus, and publicly destroy Sandusky anytime he chose. That would have created a big scandal, hurt the FOOTBALL program, and tarnished his halo.


49 posted on 11/13/2021 6:01:17 PM PST by Chewbarkah
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To: Safetgiver

I don’t believe him. I don’t believe any man, or woman, hasn’t heard of sex with children. It’s occurred all throughout history. Every pedophile should be killed, every enabler as well.


50 posted on 11/13/2021 6:08:14 PM PST by EEGator
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To: ConservativeInPA

Paterno sent an email about it, then didn’t follow up.
If you thought a man under you was raping boys, do you just send an email?
If you heard the same, you don’t follow up?
Like I said, pipe to the head...

As for Urban, they’re adult females, so it’s not a crime, just he’s a POS. My good friend while there said his friend knew a girl who did. I know it isn’t proof.


51 posted on 11/13/2021 6:12:23 PM PST by EEGator
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To: pghoilman

https://www.psu.edu/news/campus-life/story/lgbtqa-student-resource-center-will-sponsor-pride-week-events/


52 posted on 11/13/2021 6:13:00 PM PST by Paladin2 (Critical Marx Theory is The SOLUTION....)
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To: pghoilman

https://www.collegian.psu.edu/news/campus/former-penn-state-president-graham-spanier-allegedly-reports-to-jail-early/article_ebc75294-c968-11eb-9a59-43398a458b2a.html


53 posted on 11/13/2021 6:14:43 PM PST by Paladin2 (Critical Marx Theory is The SOLUTION....)
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To: Paladin2

I just thought your “Gay Valley” comment was just so cute. Casting aspersion upon an entire region, and an entire university, and the Penn Staters on this board, put you on my A$$hole list. Bless your heart.


54 posted on 11/13/2021 6:20:21 PM PST by pghoilman (Earth First. We'll drill the rest of the galaxy later.)
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To: TBP

“When everyone in the Media Agrees, There is a Problem:” -— E.g.: Covid “pandemic,” Colin Powell, “Mad Dog” General Mattis...

There are some good points in article, not specific to the Sandusky case.


55 posted on 11/13/2021 6:28:08 PM PST by PghBaldy (12/14 - 930am -rampage begins... 12/15 - 1030am - Obama's advance team scouts photo-op locations.)
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To: EEGator
I believe this is the reason Paterno didn't go to the police: McQuery went to the police. I seem to recall all sorts of articles written at the time saying no one went to the State Police or State College Police. The University Police had jurisdiction and McQuery went to them. The ball was dropped by them and the administration. I could easily understand how Paterno thought it was taken care of and did not require his attention. It had zero to do with PSU football other than McQuery seeing Sandusky. Sandusky wasn't part of the program. McQuery was a responsible adult. Lastly, Paterno was very conservative and a law & order guy. His error was trusting the administration and university police would take care of things. Personally, I used to compartmentalize my life and hand serious things off to others expecting them to be done because I had a basic trust in people. I can see Paterno being that way because he was a delegator (and PSU football suffered from it too; winning-wise). I should add that I once thought police were responsible and did their jobs. That is not aways the case these days. I am highly suspect of the entire criminal justice system. That doesn't mean I do not support the police. I just don't trust them. That lack of trust today means I would interact with police today as if I did not expect them to do their jobs. Quite different than 10 plus years ago.
56 posted on 11/13/2021 6:42:20 PM PST by ConservativeInPA ("Goats are like mushrooms. Because if you shoot a duck, I'm afraid of toasters." - Joe Biden)
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To: pghoilman

“Graham B. Spanier showed considerable curiosity about sex, writing papers on several varieties of it, premarital, extramarital and - this one has attracted the attention of conservative bloggers - swinging or, as he and his co-author called it in the early 1970s, mate swapping. His primary focus, though, was on what broke marriages apart, what kept them together, and how people adjusted to divorce and remarriage.”

Spanier, noted wife swapping scholar.


57 posted on 11/13/2021 6:51:25 PM PST by Paladin2 (Critical Marx Theory is The SOLUTION....)
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To: ConservativeInPA

There’s US law and moral law.
I believe a man can exact law on a horrific crime.
I don’t think “the clothes” you wear give one rights.(robes/uniforms)
Sandusky deserved to disappear.

I understand that “vigilante justice” leads to anarchy, but “pedophiles and psychopaths” deserve immediate death.
JMHO.
Paterno doesn’t deserve ultimate responsibility, but some.
That some grown man didn’t take care of responsibility bothers me.


58 posted on 11/13/2021 7:02:09 PM PST by EEGator
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To: EEGator

Well, I give him the benefit of the doubt. I like to think I am moral and I can easily see myself do the same thing as Paterno. He didn’t see anything, but he was told by McQuery, who did see something, that McQuery went to the University Police. I would put a big check box next to “taken care of/complete” and get back to football, fund raisers, recruiting and family.


59 posted on 11/13/2021 7:13:57 PM PST by ConservativeInPA ("Goats are like mushrooms. Because if you shoot a duck, I'm afraid of toasters." - Joe Biden)
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To: ConservativeInPA

Good bosses never assume anyone does their job correctly.

They check, at a time and place and method of their choosing, usually quietly, usually in a way that the person being checked on won’t know about.

It is possible Paterno was not one of those good bosses, but I would want to see a lot of evidence in other areas to convince me that was the case.


60 posted on 11/13/2021 7:15:59 PM PST by cgbg (A kleptocracy--if they can keep it. Think of it as the Cantillon Effect in action.)
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