Before St. Louis Prosecutor Bob McCulloch announced that there would be no indictment for Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of unarmed teenager Michael Brown, he spent a few minutes railing against the media for its role in the process leading up to Monday night’s announcement.
“The most significant challenge encountered in this investigation has been the 24-hour news cycle and its insatiable appetite for something, for anything to talk about,” he said, “following closely behind with the non-stop rumors on social media.”
Here’s how reporters responded on Twitter as he spoke:
That opening statement sounds like, "None of this would be a problem except the Internet."
— James Poniewozik (@poniewozik) November 25, 2014
McCollough started OFF insulting all the community eyewitnesses who used social media to share concern. #Ferguson #NoBueno AWFUL
— Van Jones (@VanJones68) November 25, 2014
The tone needed here would be hard for anyone to get just right, but McCulloch isn’t even in the ballpark
— Ezra Klein (@ezraklein) November 25, 2014
McCulloch: it's the media and twitter's fault
— Wesley Lowery (@WesleyLowery) November 25, 2014
when in doubt, blame twitter
— Matt Yglesias (@mattyglesias) November 25, 2014
Twitter is indicted for blowing it, prosecutor seems to say. GET TO IT.
— Brian Ries (@moneyries) November 25, 2014
It's always the weasels who blame the media. #Fergsuon
— Christina Wilkie (@christinawilkie) November 25, 2014
Twitter gave this story life, shaped the narrative. Even if you disagree, you must know that throwing shade on social media is a bad idea.
— Kate Dailey (@katedailey) November 25, 2014
Social media and the "24 hours news cycle" get blamed for everything.
— Chris Cillizza (@TheFix) November 25, 2014
McCulloch says "most significant challenge" was the 24-hour news cycle & "insatiable appetite for something, for anything, to talk about."
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) November 25, 2014
I guess Bob McCulloch's opening statement is, "If you think I haven't done my job correctly, that's Twitter's fault."
— Jeb Lund (@Mobute) November 25, 2014
So far the social media and the news-cycle have taken the most criticism in this statement. Okay then.
— Ali Lozoff (@AliLozoff) November 25, 2014
Things indicted so far: Social media, regular media, the public
Things not indicted: The person who killed a kid with his hands up
— Ryan Grim (@ryangrim) November 25, 2014
Hands up. Don't tweet.
— Jason Abbruzzese (@JasonAbbruzzese) November 25, 2014
My jaw's on the floor. This is really something.
— Christopher Hayes (@chrislhayes) November 25, 2014
to be fair, twitter IS a den of misery.
— Asawin Suebsaeng (@swin24) November 25, 2014
Twitter killed Michael Brown.
— John Aravosis (@aravosis) November 25, 2014
Dude, cable news and some of Twitter suck sometimes. They didn't put the gun in Wilson's hand.
— Evan McMurry (@evanmcmurry) November 25, 2014
Any chance this speech will end with “(guest opinion blog)”?
— Dave Itzkoff (@ditzkoff) November 25, 2014
The big challenge to the legal process here is the awful, insatiable media. Oh, uh, also craven police brutality. #FergusonDecision
— Jordan Zakarin (@jordanzakarin) November 25, 2014
McCulloch is really blaming the Internet. #Ferguson
— David Corn (@DavidCornDC) November 25, 2014
This prosecutor is really giving it to social media! Good to know he has priorities in order.
— Ricky Camilleri (@RickyCam) November 25, 2014
Bob McCulloch: If you don’t like the way I’m doing my job, blame Twitter
— Brett LoGiurato (@BrettLoGiurato) November 25, 2014
Number of people social media shot and killed:
— Jack Mirkinson (@jackmirkinson) November 25, 2014
This guy's anger at the media digging into the story makes me very proud of my colleagues.
— Philip Bump (@pbump) November 25, 2014
Watch video of McCulloch’s statement below, via Fox News:
[Photo via screengrab]
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