Experts call out “journalist” for fake re-offense statistics
Jenny Day, a reporter for Yuma, Arizona’s NBC News Affiliate KYMA (Channel 11) is getting pushback from experts who are calling her out on some false statistics she reported on in a story about sex offenders in the community.
She claims “Statistics show 99% of child sex offenders reoffend, yet they are still being released into our community.” which we know to be completely ridiculous, but then used that excerpt to try to get traction to her story in twitter (https://twitter.com/JennyDayTV/status/1195159698460143617). Thankfully experts are calling her out on her bullshit and asking her to cite the “statistics” she is claiming. So far no reply and we know why there’s not going to be a reply from her, because no empirical research exists.
More than 150 responses have been posted to tweet and they are overwhelmingly calling for a correction. Many have written to her and the station demanding she retract her story and apologize.
A petion on Change.org is even being circulated, demanding she retract her story or resign: https://www.change.org/p/jenny-day-correct-false-reporting-or-resign-from-your-job (please feel free to sign).
Now that Ms. Day and her station have been unquestionably placed on notice of their error, the rest is up to them. Their response will determine how much further this will go, including potential legal action. Her station, KYMA, re-tweeted her post.and could potentially be liable for defamation under the republication rule (Restatement (2s) of Torts § 578).
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Signed and contributed a little for the petition…and like WHL I wasn’t particularly nice but not rude either….the point was made!
Apparently, the article itself has been removed from Twitter although her Tweet has not. It’s still a good idea to post a comment and sign the petition however.
Signed. As of this moment, 142 others have also signed.
I actually work in all the salons and barber shops in Yuma. I just got back from there. That community should be outraged.
O M G. I cannot believe I did not think of this before. Anyone who knows basic math knows that if 99% of us had re-offended, the prisons and jails would be overflowing. My case goes back to 1990 and not a single infraction since then ( Although the registry makes it almost impossible to not do something wrong like cutting the cheese on a Tuesday when only allowable on a Thursday ). That is like saying 99% of people caught driving drunk will do so again.
For almost all crimes, a first time offender has an ah ha moment and can either say “What did I do to myself, my victim (s) and my family?” or they can say ” What do I need to do different to not get caught?”. Anyone can mess up and make a mistake, big or small, but it is what they do afterwards that matters.
I have said this before and will say it again, some reporters, not all, are so sick minded, they do not care what they say, do or report as long as they get a story regardless if the facts are really factual. If news agents would start firing reporters for false reporting, maybe things would change. retractions are almost ever reported unless it is a small blip on the back page of some nickle newspaper at the gas station that was forced by a judge.
Need to sue we didn’t ask to be part of this sub class so it makes it slander toward anyone being forced to were it!