The editor of the Jena Times, writing in the Christian Science Monitor, takes the national media to task for basing its stories about the recent controversy in Jena, LA on myths about what in fact happened.
Not being there, I am in no position to judge, but it is worth noting that many stories that prove to be, if not untrue--distorted, are biased in a manner that allows us to confirm prejudices or pre-held beliefs. We have a sense of how the world works and we use that to process information. Studies suggest that the act of processing information can alter it significantly. We remember things that did not happen, or ignore things that did, because it does not fit our picture of how the world works. The criminal justice process has has to take this into consideration when attempting to determine the validity of eyewitness testimony. Did a witness actually see what they believed they saw?
Louisiana has a pretty bad track record in civil rights matters, so it is easy to believe the worst when stories of this nature arise. Stereotypes seem hardwired into our brains.
We discuss this further in 2301 when we talk about public opinion.
