After several weeks of growing criticism of a story alleging that nine members of a University of Virginia fraternity gang-raped a student, Rolling Stone has issued a partial retraction, admitting it “misplaced” trust in the student’s allegations.
Many Twitter users aren’t giving up the ghost, however. Numerous users took to the digital airwaves to say that, even if the original publication no longer believed its source, they still did.
It’s cute that it hasn’t occurred to any journalists that an alleged rapist might have also lied to his victim. #IStandWithJackie
— Santa M (@sazza_jay) December 5, 2014
@RollingStone backs up from the victim b/c the alleged rapist says he didn’t rape her. and in other news the sky is blue. #IStandWithJackie — ⠀klc (@kasie19RU) December 5, 2014
Several suggested that the real reason for the story’s retraction was influence from wealthy or influential alumni of the school or fraternity.
Interesting how @RollingStone and @washingtonpost are backpeddling over #UVA. Powerful alumni can be brutal. Doesn’t make the story false.
— Jessica Hannan (@jessicahannan81) December 5, 2014
I smell frat boy lawyers that #RollingStone had to walk back printed assertions without asking them. #UVA — Stacie Rose (@igotviews) December 5, 2014
If @RollingStone in any way caved to pressure from #UVA, now would be a good time to release/leak that information… #rollingstone
— Sean C. Davis (@seandelakaza) December 5, 2014
A few even accused Rolling Stone of joining up with the sinister forces of “rape culture.”
.@RollingStone joins the multiple cultural “institutions” that support #rapeculture. #IStandWithJackie http://t.co/QPRoPTHYCD — Lyndsay Kirkham (@HisFeministMama) December 5, 2014
Some have tried to move on quickly, suggesting that, true or not, the horrifying accusations against the fraternity were less important than the discussion they provoked.
The energy spent on being skeptical of the #UVA article, should really be used to prevent rape on campuses in the future. Bc it is real.
— sandra sánchez (@sandrasanchez) December 5, 2014
You know what, #UVA frats? If your statement isn’t “We stand with rape survivors,” keep your mouths shut. — Esta Jarrett (@estamj) December 5, 2014
Whether or not there were discrepancies in her story, it’s important to bring awareness to the horrors of rape and gang rape on campus. #uva
— spaceboy1993 (@MeganSearl) December 5, 2014
This report, by Blake Neff, was cross-posted by arrangement with the Daily Caller News Foundation.
