The 1989 NYT article that DOBA linked to above — "Doubt is Cast on Report of Attack on Downey" — is an incredible contrast to the modern mainstream media's handling of the Smollett case.
On Twitter, in comment sections, and forums such as this one, a great many people are casting doubt on Smollett's claims, and raising some very legitimate questions about what happened. The MSM is having none of it. Check out some of the headlines from major sources:
Assault on 'Empire' actor Jussie Smollett serves as a reminder — lynching, noose symbolism are still prevalent (USA Today)
The Jussie Smollett attack highlights the hate black gay Americans face (Washington Post)
Jussie Smollett’s Attack Is A Reminder That All Black Lives Have To Matter (Essence Magazine)
The Jussie Smollett attack is so personal for black LGBT people because we know it could have been any of us (NBC News)
The Jussie Smollett attack, and the reality of being black and gay in America (NY Daily News)
Curiously, there hasn't been a peep from Smollett himself about the incident. He doesn't seem to have been badly hurt — it's not as though he's lying in a hospital bed in a coma. So why the silence? And why doesn't the mainstream media seem to think this is strange?
On Twitter, in comment sections, and forums such as this one, a great many people are casting doubt on Smollett's claims, and raising some very legitimate questions about what happened. The MSM is having none of it. Check out some of the headlines from major sources:
Assault on 'Empire' actor Jussie Smollett serves as a reminder — lynching, noose symbolism are still prevalent (USA Today)
The Jussie Smollett attack highlights the hate black gay Americans face (Washington Post)
Jussie Smollett’s Attack Is A Reminder That All Black Lives Have To Matter (Essence Magazine)
The Jussie Smollett attack is so personal for black LGBT people because we know it could have been any of us (NBC News)
The Jussie Smollett attack, and the reality of being black and gay in America (NY Daily News)
Curiously, there hasn't been a peep from Smollett himself about the incident. He doesn't seem to have been badly hurt — it's not as though he's lying in a hospital bed in a coma. So why the silence? And why doesn't the mainstream media seem to think this is strange?