WaPo significantly 'softens' headline on 'automatic' presumption of guilt in all rape claims

In the wake of Rolling Stone’s apology and admission that its controversial article on the alleged campus gang rape of “Jackie” contained “discrepancies,” here’s a double whammy from the Washington Post and Zerlina Maxwell. In an opinion piece published Saturday, Maxwell, a lawyer, challenges the idea of “innocent until proven guilty,” concluding, “In important ways, this is wrong. We should believe, as a matter of default, what an accuser says.”

MY NEW PIECE: No matter what Jackie said, we should generally believe rape claims. http://t.co/nBM5CPiqBn

— Zerlina Maxwell (@ZerlinaMaxwell) December 6, 2014

Are you supposedly an attorney writing for a once-respected newspaper, @ZerlinaMaxwell?

How?

— VACUOUS CIPHER (@THE_DAILY_BLEAT) December 6, 2014

This is literally Orwellian. http://t.co/pTrV421HhP

— Christian Vanderbrouk (@UrbanAchievr) December 6, 2014

https://twitter.com/TheRealBepo/status/541248809180082176

I’m afraid that @ZerlinaMaxwell has just outed herself as an extraordinary dangerous and illiberal person. Shame. http://t.co/6qMyIxsHAa

— Charles C. W. Cooke (@charlescwcooke) December 6, 2014

https://twitter.com/Will_Antonin/status/541248342647660545

https://twitter.com/GOPMommy/status/541285863599001600

@ZerlinaMaxwell Juanita Broderick would like to chat

— Andrews Dad (@Andrew_Dad) December 6, 2014

https://twitter.com/GOPMommy/status/541286510339694593

Cosigned – Tawana Brawley MT @ZerlinaMaxwell: MY NEW PIECE: No matter what Jackie said, we should generally believe rape claims.

— cosmoscon (@gdthomp01) December 6, 2014

@ZerlinaMaxwell your article is beyond disturbing. No matter how horrible the alleged crime is we cannot throw due process out the window.

— Vandal a.k.a. Reggie Trimbach (@iamvandal617) December 6, 2014

Again, remember that Maxwell’s words were published under the headline, “No matter what Jackie said, we should automatically believe rape claims.” Those who aren’t in the newspaper business should note that writers in most cases have little or no say in the headlines that accompany their work. The blowback against the piece, though, inspired someone at the Washington Post to quietly change the headline to read, “generally believe rape claims” — a significant alteration that slipped past no one.

Post tries to stanch bleeding by quietly changing headline on story. Note URL/content. h/t @jonswerens http://t.co/9HD8T2O0PD

— Mollie (@MZHemingway) December 6, 2014

https://twitter.com/RosieGray/status/541275213150040067

New headline from the @washingtonpost, right? pic.twitter.com/2FPOdDdXJp

— Greg Pollowitz (@GPollowitz) December 6, 2014

@GPollowitz"Automatically" was too harsh even for them, but even generally is batshit. @washingtonpost

— William Belcher (@EdB_Ohio) December 6, 2014

Some things never change … like base urls Heh See image – No matter what http://t.co/zzM46DbfLr pic.twitter.com/YbcCHtcBvs

— DanRiehl (@DanRiehl) December 6, 2014

https://twitter.com/FilmLadd/status/541273024683868161

https://twitter.com/RobProvince/status/541274067282972672