While many in the media are either trying to erase their roles in propagating the false narrative about the Covington Catholic students or doubling down on the lies, a handful of them are apologizing for having jumped the gun.
But in Patricia Heaton’s mind, apologies are akin to putting a Band-Aid on a gaping wound. What happened to the students deserves much more than apologies:
1. I'm seeing what I believe to be sincere apologies from some journalists and verified media persons regarding their lack of professionalism in rushing to judgement re the #CovingtonCatholic situation.
— Patricia Heaton (@PatriciaHeaton) January 21, 2019
2. These apologies are welcome and necessary, but they don't address the damage that cannot be undone which was inflicted upon young people who are about to embark on adulthood – applying to colleges, looking for employment, etc.
— Patricia Heaton (@PatriciaHeaton) January 21, 2019
3. These young people will forever have these smears follow them through their life every time they proffer their resume with the word "Covington" on it. It will also affect anyone who ever has or ever will attend that school. The damage is incalculable.
— Patricia Heaton (@PatriciaHeaton) January 21, 2019
4. And yet those who perpetrated this destruction, no matter how unintended, are still at their jobs, with nary a consequence for their reckless behavior.
— Patricia Heaton (@PatriciaHeaton) January 21, 2019
5. It seems to me that an apology without some kind of accompanying action which speaks to the seriousness of their transgression – a suspension from work, some loss of pay – renders any apology empty.
— Patricia Heaton (@PatriciaHeaton) January 21, 2019
6. Some kind of compensatory action would go a long way in signaling their recognition of the seriousness of their transgression and help to restore what's left of the public's very fragile trust in their reputations as trustworthy journalists.
— Patricia Heaton (@PatriciaHeaton) January 21, 2019
Well said.
As always, Patricia Heaton is smarter than most people in the public eye. https://t.co/SjkzV5Xyee
— Kurt Michaels (@DatOtherMichael) January 21, 2019
True story. But will the people who need to hear her message the most even listen to what she has to say?
However, I don't believe this will happen.
— Patricia Heaton (@PatriciaHeaton) January 21, 2019
Sadly, she’s probably right. Time and time again, we’ve seen the media make colossal mistakes with far-reaching consequences. We’ve seen people’s lives endangered by a zealous drive to advance a narrative. And we’ve seen them get off without so much as a slap on the wrist. Why should this time be any different?
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