Times Follows Voice Exclusive, Stiffs Us on Credit
Hey, look! The New York Times has got around to chasing some Village Voice exclusives about how the NYPD is so hot for downgrading crime statistics, they've been classifying sexual assaults as misdemeanors!
In particular, the Voice brought you the story of journalist Debbie Nathan, who was the victim of an attempted rape that got downgraded to forcible touching.
And now the Times is on the case, giving us all kinds of credit for bringing it to you first!
Oh, wait. They're not doing that. Say what?
Since May 5, the Voice has been bringing you Graham Rayman's explosive series, "NYPD Tapes," which pretty much settles any questions about Ray Kelly's police department requiring ticket quotas, downgrading criminal complaints, and intimidating victims to manipulate crime statistics.
Besides two features in print, Rayman has continued with web updates almost every day, and in the next two issues of the Voice will appear parts 3 and 4 of his series.
On May 10 and May 11, Rayman also was the first to report the circumstances of the Nathan case, reported that local rape crisis centers are concerned about the problem, and was the first to interview rape crisis center directors on the subject. He was also the first to report that Police Commissioner Ray Kelly had convened a panel to investigate the problem.
But hey, you wouldn't get any idea that Rayman had been there first on any of those issues if you read today's Times piece -- even in reference to the Nathan case!
Looks like things have changed at the Old Gray Lady, which used to be fairly decent about giving credit where it was due.
Email to Friend
Write to Editor
Print Article
