A regional daily editor has been accused of “victim blaming” by a trainee reporter after publishing a reader’s letter in defence of convicted rapist Ched Evans – despite making clear he disagreed with it.
James Mitchinson, of The Star, Sheffield, took to Twitter to defend the Johnston Press-owned title’s publication of the letter, the content of which he says he “disagrees with entirely”.
The letter-writer advised those criticising Sheffield United’s decision to allow Evans to resume training with them that their their time could be better spent “in the education of young women and the responsibility they have towards themselves when going out on the town.”
Among those who responded was Liverpool Echo reporter Laura Connor, who challenged James to explain why it was made the newspaper’s ‘Star Letter’ on Monday.
She asked James via Twitter “why a letter blaming Evans’ victim has made star letter?” and added: “It is suggesting women need to act and behave a certain way in order not to be raped, when the actual problem is the rapists.”
James replied: “I disagree entirely with the letter. I think it’s important people know that mindset is out there, though!”
Laura went on to add she felt it was “false” of him to say he was publishing both sides of the debate, to which James advised her to “tread carefully before throwing flawed accusations about”.
The latest controversy comes after James claimed in an editorial last month he had been left “fearful for his own safety” after receiving abuse on the social networking site from supporters of Evans’ former employer Sheffield United, with whom the footballer has now begun training again following his release from prison.
James stated in a past editorial he felt Sheffield United should not re-sign Evans, amid speculation they would do so.
In April 2012 Evans was found guilty of raping a 19-year-old woman at a hotel near Rhyl, North Wales, the previous year.
He has refused to admit his guilt and is currently appealing for his conviction to be overturned, even setting up a website to accompany his campaign.
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Only two people really know what happened in this sad case.
Would have been better if the media and letters like this had not stirred it up again, but it is all about sales, web hits, listeners and viewers.
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@sideliner… All about sales? Hardly.
It’s about the message employing a rapist sends out to thousands of young boys and girls who aspire to be footballers.
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Rapists deserve all they get and more, but I read the guy maintained his innocence.
Only he and the girl know the truth, as I said.
He did his time and now he is on trial again by the media.
But it is good copy, after all.
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The top paragraph seems misleading, to me. It suggests that this trainee attacked him despite his protestations when, actually, she attacked him before he made his excuses.
If James really disagreed with the content and was posting it as a bad example, he should have made that explicit wherever the letter was published.
Adding the “star letter” badge would suggest to me too that he gave the argument some credence, whether this is true or not.
I think it was right that this trainee asked for an explanation. This piece seems to criticise her for that.
Re: sideliner’s comment, I think it’s only right that the media “stirs up” cases like this. Women still aren’t safe going out at night. Until that is fixed it’s an issue we need to keep in the public eye, for their sake.
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A serious error of judgement and a total abdication of responsibility. The editor should look up the meaning of his job title. To make it the Star letter is either astonishing in its naivety or just stupid. Not sure which. And the justification for publication is a transparent, extremely lame after-the-event attempt to cover up his balls-up. If we extended his rationale, there would be no limits on the views which newspapers might publish. Mr Mitchison would get more respect from readers and colleagues if admitted the mistake and apologised. He should also remember the golden rule that editors report the news; they should never be the news. Well done Laura for taking him to task.
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Can’t understand why the Liverpool Echo is again setting itself up as an arbiter of good taste among local media. It really does need to ‘calm down, calm down’ before it starts looking silly.
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@sideliner in fact, the jury also knows what happened. what’s the relevance of him maintaining his innocence?
@onlooker hilarious use of regional stereotype there. lovely stuff. you should try the jim davidson thread.
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If I were an editor in Sheffield I would be going through any copy containing the word ‘Hillsborough’ with a fine-tooth comb in case the Echo pick up their pitchforks again.
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Agree with Onlooker. Liverpool Echo needs to stick with its own readers and issues, not patrol/police other people’s websites looking for high horses.
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Having said that I wouldn’t have printed the letter, let alone made it the star letter, because of the tripe it peddles. Still none of the Liverpool paper’s business though.
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Who says the Echo is “arbiting” anything or “patrolling” other paper’s websites?
Maybe Miss Connor just had a personal opinion on the attention-seeking/perfectly reasonable (depending on your view) decision to put the Star Letter tag on Kiveton Blade’s controversial views?
Is she not entitled to that opinion – everyone else seems to have one on this case?
For all Evans’ protestations of innocence, he was convicted by a jury of his peers and has so far lost one appeal.
Sheffield United should not even consider re-signing him unless the second review of his conviction produces an outcome in his favour.
After all, in the eyes of the law, he’s a convicted rapist and remains that until such time as his conviction is overturned.
Even if that happens, he will remain a cheat who took advantage of a horribly drunk woman – hardly the kind of person most companies would be keen to employ.
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Did the Star Letter writer win a pen?
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Editors should be reporting the news, not creating it and being the centre of it.
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@Idle Rich: “Liverpool Echo needs to stick with its own readers and issues, not patrol/police other people’s websites looking for high horses.”
Really? We’re journalists. We take a professional and personal interest in the news, wherever it happens. Writing about one subject or area doesn’t preclude us from talking about others.
Plus she’s a trainee. I hardly think she was looking for a high horse. More likely she was showing enthusiasm in the biz. If it were the editor of the Liverpool Echo, I might say different. But since the Echo doesn’t compete directly with the Star, I might not…
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Puzzled to understand why anyone thinks this has anything to do with the Liverpool Echo? It’s a personal comment – and an entirely reasonable one – by a reporter who just happens to work for the Echo. And the whole ‘calm down’ commentary is just stupid, inane shit. Surprisingly stupid, in fact. (But not as stupid as the star editor’s decision). Get some brains @onlooker, challis, idle rich et al. Jeez.
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Laura is not an Echo reporter but a Mirror trainee on secondment. She is expressing a personal opinion and is not owned by her employers. Calm down reference is another ecample of casual slurs thrown at Scourers. Letter is just to drive hits.
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@sideliner On the contrary to your twice stated claim that only the girl and Evans know the truth. The evidence in the case was that the girl could not remember anything that happened due to her drunken state.
Therefore, there is only one person who knows the truth, Evans.
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The Sheffield Star editor’s comment about it being “important people know that mindset is out there” is weak justification for giving ‘star letter’ status. It would be better if he was honest and admitted it was only done to deliberately provoke controversy rather than for any noble cause to do with free speech or balanced debate.
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I would have published but not made it the star letter. Laura was right to question this decision.
However, although I believe there is absolutely no excuse for rape in any circumstances, there is a debate to be had about people taking personal responsibility for themselves – women as well as men.
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