UVA Hoax and the Future of Victim Advocacy

I am sure that we are all familiar with last month's Rolling Stone Article that gruesomely described a fraternity's attack on a UVA freshman (which now has a disclaimer where the Managing Editor apologizes for its lack of credibility). Jackie claimed that she was discouraged from reporting the incident while the Rolling Stone blamed the administration for passively promoting a culture of sexual assault.

The article exploded with Facebook shares and coverage from various media outlets. After its initial surge, the media and those affiliated with the UVA investigation have had time to dig deeper into the facts behind the victim's accusations.

Cathy Young from Real Clear Politics sources the various holes found in Jackie's story.

The key issue that Young raises is the effect that this will have on victims who become discouraged from sharing their stories and advocates who rally around this cause. The article is undoubtedly the biggest "rape-hoax" that the U.S. has seen and the impact that the story will have on future widely-publicized allegations should be interesting.

I also want to quickly address the media coverage that has surrounded Charles Johnson—a recent CMC alum who allegedly released the victim's full name. While I do not want to deny that his actions were immoral, shouldn't the Rolling Stone's keenness to publish the article also be viewed as a similar act of exploitation against UVA and the alleged fraternity for the purpose of inflating publicity?