Assaulting Kobe's accuser

Salon (subscription or day pass required) has the scoop on the low-class journalism on full display this week on the cover of the supermarket tabloid the Globe. The tabloid ran a scantily clad photo of Kobe Bryant's accuser taken at her high school prom with the headline, "Kobe's Accuser: Did she really say no?" The decision to use the photo was given the go-ahead by Bonnie Fuller, editor in chief of the American Media chain. This is bottom feeding of the worst kind, even for the supermarket tabloids. Excerpt:

"The tabloidization of the American media is horrid and unstoppable," said Stephen Isaacs, a professor of journalism at the Graduate School of Journalism at Columbia University, who teaches a class on ethics. Mr. Isaacs, who is somewhat unorthodox in his view that journalists should publish the names of accusers in rape cases, went on, "I think naming her is cool, but running a picture of her with a garter belt -- that's mawkish and obviously meant to sell papers. That is the tabloidization of the American press." ...

"I think every female editor who woke up this morning and saw that in the paper probably had their breath taken away," said Us Weekly's editor in chief Janice Min. "I just looked at it and thought, Oh my God that's so wrong." ...

"It is misogynistic and truly exploitative to try to get big sales off of identifying an alleged rape victim," said Min. "Was a woman dressed inappropriately? Did she ask for it? Is a sexy woman more likely to get raped than a non-sexy woman? These are the anachronistic, horrible ideas that come up because of a cover like that. Morally, it's wrong." ...

"It is clearly implied on the cover that maybe she deserved it," Min continued. "This is someone's worst nightmare. This is why a lot of sexual assault victims don't come forward."