"Elmo" puppeteer parked - TVorNotTV

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Date: Mon, 12 Nov 2012 11:39:27 -0800
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Subject: Re: [TV orNotTV] "Elmo" puppeteer parked
From: PGage <pga...@gmail.com>
To: tvornottv@googlegroups.com
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On Mon, Nov 12, 2012 at 11:14 AM, Joe Hass <hassgoc...@gmail.com> wrote:

> This is the best example of journalistically-acceptable
> character assassination I've seen from the media in a long time.
>
> Clash gets accused by someone of having a relationship of some kind with =
a
> minor. The accusation is vetted by his employer, who says it's unfounded,
> but does find he didn't follow company Internet policies, for which he's
> disciplines. Clash says he wants to take some time off to deal with this
> crap, and his employer gives it to him.
>
> And this turned into this headline on CNN: "Voice of Elmo on leave after
> denying 'underage contact' with teen." Yahoo News has: "Elmo puppeteer
> accused of underage relationship." I don't watch TV news, but I'm sure
> those chyrons are very similar.
>
> Which office does Kevin Clash go to get his reputation back?\
>
>

This is exactly my reaction as well. If I saw this reported in the National
Enquier while standing in line to pay for my grocieries I would shake my
head at the low quality of crap tabloids - but to see this reported in what
is often regarded as mainstream journalistic sources is appalling. I don't
know Clash, and I don't know any of the details here. Perhaps at some point
in the future there will be even a shred of evidence that he did anything
wrong. But there is no evidence now that he did anything wrong, and so
there should be no story written about it.

Note this from the 4th graph of the linked story:

"While the show=92s probe was unable to find proof that Clash had engaged i=
n
a relationship with the accuser while he was a minor, it did find evidence
that the man behind one of the most beloved children=92s television
characters had engaged in inappropriate behavior against company standards"

I bet a majority of readers come away from this paragraph thinking that
Clash did something bad and illegal, instead of simply using company email
to communicate in a personal relationship. At least three quarters of
office workers violate this policy every week - myself included (well, my
employer does not prohibit my use of my work email for personal
corrospondnece, but I doubt it would make a difference anyway. However
horrible a violation of office policy this is, it is not quite the same as
pedophillia - but this paragraph does not really make that clear.

The article also notes that the accuser here retained the same legal
counsel as one of the victims in the Penn State case. Further tagging this
guy by associating him with the most well known pedophile in recent memory.

Then there is this from the last graph:
"Sesame Workshop tried to reassure fans that the shocking news didn=92t mea=
n
the end of Elmo, telling viewers, =93Elmo is bigger than any one person,=94=
 and
will continue to be an integral part of =93Sesame Street=94 to engage, educ=
ate
and inspire children around the world, as it has for 40 years.=94

Really? The shocking news that he inappropriately used work email to
communicate in a personal relationship?

I suspect that if the accuser was a 23 year old woman, we would be seeing a
lot less of this kind of garbage.

More and more I would like to see some private but powerful Commissioner of
Journalism, kind of like David Stern in the NBA, who would have the power
to fine or put journalists and media outlets on suspension when they commit
really bad acts that undermine the credibility of all news reporting in the
eyes of the public. I would put people like Peggy Noonan on a 1 week
suspension for her glib and flawed punditry before the election, and I
would put any news organization that reported this story in a way similar
to the Daily News on a 6 month suspension.

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<div class=3D"gmail_quote">On Mon, Nov 12, 2012 at 11:14 AM, Joe Hass <span=
 dir=3D"ltr">&lt;<a href=3D"mailto:hassgoc...@gmail.com" target=3D"_blank">=
hassgoc...@gmail.com</a>&gt;</span> wrote:<br><blockquote style=3D"margin:0=
px 0px 0px 0.8ex;padding-left:1ex;border-left-color:rgb(204,204,204);border=
-left-width:1px;border-left-style:solid" class=3D"gmail_quote">
This is the best example of journalistically-acceptable character=A0assassi=
nation=A0I&#39;ve seen from the media in a long time.<br><br>Clash gets acc=
used by someone of having a relationship of some kind with a minor. The acc=
usation is vetted by his employer, who says it&#39;s unfounded, but does fi=
nd he didn&#39;t follow company Internet policies, for which he&#39;s disci=
plines. Clash says he wants to take some time off to deal with this crap, a=
nd his employer gives it to him.<div>

<br></div><div>And this turned into this headline on CNN: &quot;Voice of El=
mo on leave after denying &#39;underage contact&#39; with teen.&quot;=A0Yah=
oo News has: &quot;Elmo puppeteer accused of underage relationship.&quot; I=
 don&#39;t watch TV news, but I&#39;m sure those chyrons are very similar.<=
br>

<br>Which office does Kevin Clash go to get his reputation back?\</div><div=
>=A0</div></blockquote><div>=A0</div><div>This is exactly my reaction as we=
ll. If I saw this reported in the National Enquier while standing in line t=
o pay for my grocieries I would shake my head at the low quality of crap ta=
bloids - but to see this reported in what is often regarded as mainstream j=
ournalistic sources is appalling. I don&#39;t know Clash, and I don&#39;t k=
now any of the details here. Perhaps at some point in the future there will=
 be even a shred of evidence that he did anything wrong. But there is no ev=
idence now that he did anything wrong, and so there should be no story writ=
ten about it.</div>
<div>=A0</div><div>Note this from the 4th graph of the linked story:</div><=
div>=A0</div><div>&quot;While the show=92s probe was unable to find proof t=
hat Clash had engaged in a  relationship with the accuser while he was a mi=
nor, it did find evidence that  the man behind one of the most beloved chil=
dren=92s television characters had  engaged in inappropriate behavior again=
st company standards&quot;</div>
<div>=A0</div><div>I bet a majority of readers come away from this paragrap=
h thinking that Clash did something bad and illegal, instead of simply usin=
g company email to communicate in a personal relationship. At least three q=
uarters of office workers violate this policy every week - myself included =
(well, my employer does not prohibit my use of my work email for personal c=
orrospondnece, but I doubt it would make a difference anyway. However horri=
ble a violation of office policy this is, it is not quite the same as pedop=
hillia - but this paragraph does not really make that clear.</div>
<div>=A0</div><div>The article also notes that the accuser here retained th=
e same legal counsel as one of the victims in the Penn State case. Further =
tagging this guy by associating him with the most well known pedophile in r=
ecent memory.</div>
<div>=A0</div><div>Then there is this from the last graph:<br></div><div>&q=
uot;Sesame Workshop tried to reassure fans that the shocking news didn=92t =
mean the  end of Elmo, telling viewers, =93Elmo is bigger than any one pers=
on,=94 and will  continue to be an integral part of =93Sesame Street=94 to =
engage, educate and  inspire children around the world, as it has for 40 ye=
ars.=94</div>
<div>=A0</div><div>Really? The shocking news that he inappropriately used w=
ork email to communicate in a personal relationship?</div><div>=A0</div><di=
v>I suspect that if the accuser was a 23 year old woman, we would be seeing=
 a lot less of this kind of garbage.</div>
<div>=A0</div><div>More and more I would like to see some private but power=
ful Commissioner of Journalism, kind of like David Stern in the NBA, who wo=
uld have the power to fine or put journalists and media outlets on suspensi=
on when they commit really bad acts that undermine the credibility of all n=
ews reporting in the eyes of the public. I would put people like Peggy Noon=
an on a 1 week suspension for her glib and flawed punditry before the elect=
ion, and I would put any news organization that reported this story in a wa=
y similar to the Daily News on a 6 month suspension.<br>
</div></div>

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