Sandusky Scandal: National Media Misses The Mark

By Dan Vecellio

Quick. Don't think. Who is prime suspect number one in the scandal involving Penn State right now? If you were to read 95% of the stories put out by the national media since Sunday or gone on Twitter or (from stories I've heard) spoken with any of the national talking heads trudging through State College right now, they would tell you that the villain in this horrible, horrible incident is Joe Paterno.

Tell me, when was the last time you heard Jerry Sandusky's name? When was the last time you heard about the charges brought against athletic director Tim Curley and former VP of Business and Finance Gary Schultz? I'm fairly certain that these three men have been the ones charged with crimes in this on-going investigation.

Some of you may know me as the former sports editor at Onward State. I started writing my junior year and became fascinated with journalism. I found it exciting to go fact-finding. To be able to relate a story to the masses was an exhilarating feeling. But over the past five days, my love for the craft has dwindled. I realized a whole lot about the business of journalism after reading the stories of the New York Times, Washington Post and some of the most respected news blogs in the nation. And yes, I said BUSINESS of journalism. Because journalism has now gone past its roots. It is no longer about telling a story. It is making up the story that will sell the most papers, get the most pageviews, accrue the most Twitter followers and make the most money in the end. What will sell a story? Will a story about a no-name like Gary Schultz sell papers? Will a story about Tim Curley get an author noticed? Even a story on Graham Spanier, who has a bit more national prominence, won't bring in readership. Like I said, when was the last big story on the perpetrator, Jerry Sandusky, written?

You know what will sell, though? The downfall of an American icon. A man who has spent 60 years building the reputation of a football program, a university, a whole town doing the "legal minimum" but not his "moral duty" being pummeled both in writing and by cameras and microphones everywhere he goes. I can guarantee you, if Penn State was coached by some no-name, the stories churned out would be about the victims and the men who perpetrated these crimes.

I'm not here to defend what Joe Paterno did or did not do. That has been talked about in many other posts and in many other comment boards. But I hope to convey some of the things the media has lost sight of over the past week by dissecting different allegations they have brought up. Please follow along below.

1. "JOE PATERNO NEVER FOLLOWED UP ON THESE CHARGES" or "JOE PATERNO SENT THIS UP THE CHAIN OF COMMAND AND WASHED HIS HANDS OF THE SITUATION"

This was the first of many "facts" that was made up by the national media. If you've read the Grand Jury testimony, I commend you. Now go read it again. Pick out the part where it says Joe never went back to Tim Curley or Gary Schultz to see what was happening in the process. It never says he did, but it sure as hell doesn't say he didn't either.

2. "JOE PATERNO KNEW ABOUT (OR HAD TO HAVE KNOWN ABOUT) THE '98 ALLEGATIONS AND STILL LET A CHILD RAPIST AROUND HIS TEAM"

Once again, go back to the testimony. Nowhere does it say that Joe knew about any allegations before 2002. In fact, one person I know sat in a class on Tuesday and listened to Patriot-News reporter Sara Garim, who has been the point person for all of the investigative stories dealing with this case, say that Joe testified he did not know about the 1998 allegations, going as far to say: "I think it's fair to say, as far as you could possibly say, that Joe Paterno didn't know about [the 1998 investigation]." If some real investigating had been done by the national media, they'd probably know that too.

3. "JOE PATERNO ENABLED A CHILD RAPIST"

Use your words better. I understand your need for emphasis to sell, but using the word enable makes it seem like Joe hand-picked the boys for Sandusky.

4. "JOE PATERNO IS TIM CURLEY'S/GRAHAM SPANIER'S BOSS" or "JOE PATERNO RUNS PENN STATE UNIVERSITY"

Many columnists have brought this point up in regards to Joe pushing Mike McQueary's information up the chain of command. Since Joe runs everything there, he is to blame. He is the head honcho. Find other columns these men and women have written. Look at their Twitter feeds over the past year. Look at them from the past week! They'll tell you that he doesn't even run his own football team anymore and hasn't for 15 years. For an 84-year old man to not be able to look over 85 players and a coaching staff, but yet control 44,000 students on the University Park campus, plus the administrators, plus the faculty, plus the staff and handle day-to-day operations of a university seems unimaginable to me. But you know, whatever argument works at the time, guys.

When Joe Paterno released his retirement statement Wednesday morning, he said that he would finish out the year coaching. A large majority of the people I follow on Twitter and TV commentators said it wasn't enough and were adamant about it. He needed to resign now or be fired by the Board of Trustees. A huge, HUGE backlash for a man who just wants to coach four or five more football games. Later on in the afternoon, Ben Jones of Black Shoes Diaries and StateCollege.com tweeted that he was told Jerry Sandusky was spotted working out in a gym with his wife this morning. The reaction? "Wow." "Geez." "Welp."

This story has become so twisted that negative emotion about a man coaching a football game exceeds that of an accused chlid molester walking the streets of the town where he committed his crimes by what it seems to be millions of percent. By focusing on the tear-down of the most notable figure involved in the case, people have become numb to the man who did the most damage and those who have been accused to covering up that damage.

Sensationalizing a story led to Joe Paterno being the first man to lose his job in this fiasco. And while I have no qualms about saying Joe had to step down after this mess blew up, when looking back at the facts, is he really the first man who should have gotten the axe?

Now, since the media has completed Objective One: Bring Down JoePa, I hope they do what I always believed journalists did: find the facts, dig through the sources and tell the people the real stories happening in State College.

 

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Comments

[Redplum]

07:01 PM on 11/30/2011

Absolutely agree with you. I was defending Paterno back when this all started, to the extent that the University has a chain of command, if, Paterno had a failure in judgement to ovrride the police and go above them, then it is up to Curley, Schults or Spanier to make the decision to pursue the allegations regardless of how they perceived Paterno as an employee. They didnt do their jobs, in fact IMO,they failed in a much larger degree than Paterno. Its Schultz and Spanier, that both had control over the resources (police) to pursue an investigation, (if in fact they had enough info given to them by MCQ) to investigate. To blame this all on Paterno gives to much credence that Paterno ran the school. In fact, I have always felt that MCQ's Dad, who gave the advice to play this on Paterno, as really a way of MCQ family not being involved as the whistle blowers. MCQ 's Dad and family were very close personal friends to Sandusky, more so than Paterno was. In fact, why would Paterno want around a person whose character was in question, like Sandusky (if Paterno knew about Sandusky) since Sandusky (retired) served no useful purpose to Paterno, and clearly to have someone around like Sandusly , who could bring the program down, (after Paterno spent his life building it), would not have made any sense either. Paterno would not have risked what he had built, to keep around person like Sandusky

[Daniel Widders]

05:09 PM on 11/28/2011

The story did make me think a little about whether or not JoePa should have received as much condemnation for this. But we can read between the lines. JoePa has probably set the tone. The most chilling aspect of this is the utter mindlessness of McQueary (and his dad) which tends to point toward a father-child relationship with JoePa. Unfortunately in real life, sometimes a little anarchy is accepted, and when little boys are being victimized a little anarchy is needed. It is almost as if the crime does not match the response. I saw a little boy being victimized, what do I do? Call my dad. Dad says I should talk with the real dad, JoePa. Wouldn't want to go directly to police, that might get someone (including myself) in trouble. Wouldn't want to make the wrong decision. We should keep a lid on this. Don't want to falsely accuse Sandusky. Wouldn't want a scandal. Can't make an adult decision without JoePa's help. So in my opinion, JoePa does bear quite a bit of responsibility for fostering the mindlessness and helplessness that McQueary presents. That does not happen by accident.

[Dave 747]

01:12 AM on 11/27/2011

I had to break this up due to the number of words this site lets you post per message.
I read that the NCAA released the graduation rates for the BCS top 25 football teams a little over a week ago, and Stanford and Penn State tied for 1st (with a graduation rate of 87%). Awesome.
This is what I tell people (I live in Texas). "Penn State: Keep your heads up. Don't let the sensationalistic media get you down. I know many people who have gone to Penn State and have done so much good over the years and will continue to do so. "Life's experiences will make you bitter or better--it's your decision."" (Anon.) You all are in my prayers, and I know Penn State people will become even better!

[Dave 747]

01:11 AM on 11/27/2011

Remember the three Duke Lacrosse players who were falsely accused of that heinous crime a few years ago? The majority wrote all kinds of awful stories about these guys. When the truth finally came out it was revealed that the darn Durham County District Attorney (Mike Nifong) doctored the evidence, etc.
The majority of the big media are so quick to point out The Bill of Rights--First amendment (freedom of the process), but when is the last time you heard someone from a big media outlet mention The Bill of Rights--Sixth Amendment (every citizen has a right to a jury trial, etc.)?
Have we become a country of Trial by the Media--instead of Trial by the Courts? How tragic for America.
I feel bad for the 99.9999% of Penn Staters who had nothing at all to do with the allegations. It's tragic how the big media are so wreckless with the Penn State name. They are just using it to help sensationalize the story. Have you even seen one national reporter at The Citadel since that scandal broke? Have you seen a national reporter over at the high school in Clinton County where the 2008 alleged incident happened?

[Dave 747]

01:05 AM on 11/27/2011

About 20 years ago a book was written alleging all kinds of corruption and fraud (paying players, changing grades, etc.) by the NC State basketball program where Jim Valvano (Jimmy V) was the head coach. This immediately created a national media firestorm (much like was witnessed at Penn State recently) where there were tons of media jumped people around, and they jumped on the band wagon of the book as well. I was a student there at this time.
Within days the university Board of Trustees fired Coach Valvano (no investigation, no trial). Jimmy V had teenage kids at the time. Imagine the humiliation this coach and his family felt.
AFTER an investigation into the allegations (about a year later it was completed), the lead investigator cleared Jimmy V of all major allegations. This investigator also said, "If had a son who wanted to play college basketball, I would encourage him to play for Jim Valvano.
This man and his family were done so wrong because because so many from the media jumped to conclusions and pronounced him guilty before due process was done.

[Daniel Widders]

02:16 PM on 11/22/2011

Problem starts with McQueary. He was the witness he had the legal duty to report which everybody knows, (no ignorance excuse) but look:
McQueary either saw what he said he saw or he did not. And he either told JoePa all this or he did not. AFAIK, no one is denying that a Saturday meeting took place or the subject was not Sandusky's behavior. So lets get all FACTUAL. Sandusky deserved an investigation whether he was innocent or guilty. Who knows? Maybe McQueary was lying. Maybe McQueary was selling kiddie porn on the side. The one thing for sure is that McQueary was going to JoePa first because he knew reporting it on his own would displease them, or so he thought. He wanted assurance from JoePa. Concern for the victim of what he just saw, not so much. Does everybody just automatically assume, well if we talk with Sandusky, maybe he will stop? Seriously? So what does JoePa do? Well, obviously he did not tell McQueary, "You must report this to the police immediately or your'e fired" because neither happened. That is what I specifically fault JoePa for. The underlying fact behind the grand jury report was that no-one intended to report it. Because the reporting didn't happen. And investigation did not happen either. Sometimes life is not win-win. You can't come out of this looking good no matter what you do, but that is what real grown-ups have to do.

[Redplum]

07:11 PM on 11/30/2011

well, up until the point of asserting the allegation wasnt reported, I tend to agree with what you are saying. I do think it was "reported: verbally. now the issue is the paper trail..written report that MCQ would have signed. Paterno did not see the allegation. he is only a second hand witness at best, he can only describe how MCQ appeared to him and what MCQ told him, as his interpretation of events. So, Paterno could have pushed for additional scrutiny of the report MCQ says he made, but, Paterno didnt see it...MCQ, is the one who should have pushed this. He was an adult, he didnt need Paternos permission for anything. Sandusky was not an employee. MCQ dad gave him horrendous advice..and btw- what parent would not have insisted on calling the police had thir child come home with the report MCQ had? Unless your Dad is very very close friends with Sandusky, as their family was. Easier to lay this on Paterno, let him deal with it. paterno should have done more, but then again, Curley, still an employee and still being paid, is still at PSU, he should have done more, as SPanier and Schultz should have. PSU is paying for their defense against perjury, falls under their insurance plan, for their being incompetent.

[Jeff Mat]

01:15 AM on 11/15/2011

I read that 107000+ Penn State fans donated $22584 towards charities that focus on preventing child abuse. My math skills might not be the best, but doesn`t that come to only .21 cents per person entering Beaver Stadium? It is great the money that you are raising online, but the fact is that it only came to .21 cents per person given by 107000+ fans and alumni at Beaver Stadium. It takes a lot more than wearing blue t-shirts to a football game, holding a candle light vigil and incessantly chanting WE ARE - as they did at the riot a few nights before - for me to be proud of anybody. Being forever the cynic, some of these gestures almost seem like good PR rather than true acts of contrition. It is sad that a piece by the Onion captures quite well these asinine Penn State apologist pieces. Should we be worried about 490 wins, one outright Big Ten title and Joe PA`s legacy or the abused children? With Penn State fans and alumni - especially the rioters - sometimes it is hard to be sure. This was a supposedly revered institution run by men of supposed integrity. I think that the apologists need to look past football glory and expecting that this story is going to eventually fade away. Unfortunately, as Americans, many of our priorities only appear to be self-centered, mercenary and existing in the moment.

[kag317]

11:15 AM on 11/15/2011

To be fair to those who attended the game, the collection was only briefly publicized before the event. Most were not aware of it, and therefore, did not bring money into the game. Police and school officials encouraged attendees to leave personal belongings such as purses, wallets, etc. in their cars, as security was more than tripled, and carrying in such things would lead to delays at the gate. In your reading, did you happen to come across any articles that mention how, in just four days, Penn State alumni and students have raised over $370,000 for the RAINN organization to prevent child abuse, and are actively seeking ways to reach out to lawmakers so that reporting laws can be changed to prevent this sort of thing from happening again? Penn State students and alumni had NOTHING to do with this horrific scandal, and are doing their best to atone for the sins of others. Nothing they do will ever be good enough for people like you, who will twist any shred of evidence of human decency into something negative.

[McBriar]

11:00 PM on 11/14/2011

This articulates something that seems to be true. The PS events became a 'trial by media." And just as the night of riot by some of the students at the school was disappointing and an over-reaction, the public's hunger to prosecute a case without a trial is equally disappointing.

[jayaline]

11:12 AM on 11/14/2011

In response to everyone thinking how could Joe not know, how many times have we heard about crime stories where friends and colleagues later said that they never imagined there was such a monster in their midst? How is it so unlikely that Joe had no idea about Sandusky's actions until the point where McQueary came to him?

There have been several reports that say Sandusky was "heir apparent" to be head coach when Joe retired, making it seem like they were very close. According to the grand jury report, "Victim 4 remembers Sandusky being emotionally upset after having a meeting with Joe Paterno in which Paterno told Sandusky he would not be the next head coach at Penn State and which preceded Sandusky's retirement. Sandusky told Victim 4 not to tell anyone about the meeting. That meeting occurred in May, l999." Another reporter who did an article about Sandusky in the 90's recalled having difficulty finding anyone who would talk about the guy in any capacity other than the team's statistics in his time as coach. No one seemed to know him personally.

Lastly, the grand jury presentment does not represent a complete investigation. There is a great deal more that needs to be learned before any conclusions can be made. I think we should hold off crucifying anyone until all the facts are made known.

[DudeAsInCool]

01:00 AM on 11/14/2011

Thank you, Onward State, for this. You do not pretend to have all the answers, and unlike a lot of the major publications, you are not speculating either. Let the facts emerge and then we can pass judgment.

[Autismmomx4]

10:16 AM on 11/12/2011

If your underling comes to you to report that he saw another man, raping a small child, but then left that small child with the rapist, you should a) call the police immediately, b) alert your own superiors, c) immediately suspend the alleged rapist underling from his job responsibilities pending a full investigation, d) at the appropriate time in the future ask that first underling why the f* he did not try to save that kid.



More at http://whatever.scalzi.com/2011/11/10/omelas-state-university/.

[fatamorgana]

12:34 PM on 11/12/2011

If you actually read the Grand Jury testimony, Joe Pa went to the athletic director and Gary Schultz. Now Gary Schultz was not only the Vice President of Business and Finance, but he also oversaw the University Police. Now in PA the University police have the same authority as the local police. So in going to Gary Schultz Joe Pa was actually going to the head of the police, and he did nothing.

http://www.police.psu.edu/aboutus/ - This shows that the University Police have the same authority of the local police.

Please read this and page 10 on the Grand Jury testimony. It says that Gary Schultz oversaw the University Police at the time Joe Pa went to him.

[Autismmomx4]

11:19 AM on 11/13/2011

And in the intervening 9 years when NOTHING had happened???? We are talking anal intercourse with a 10 year old. JoPa and all involved should burn in hell.

[onefedupdude]

12:01 AM on 11/12/2011

Terrible news..wondering why the parents of these kids didn't do more to get the story out. I mean, if they were not getting the help they needed, why not turn to the media? And did any parents take settlements or hush money back when these horrible things happened? The local law must be looked at also. A coach tells his boss and gets fired? I really believe there will be hell to pay for more than just staff at Penn State. Just my opinion..God help the victims in all this mess.

[psu1969]

02:52 PM on 11/11/2011

Best article I have read! Dan Vecellio, you are a good journalist; the others leeches. And as for the talking heads, no comment.

[op61]

07:25 AM on 11/12/2011

When is EVERYONE, including this guy, going to stop defending Paterno?? Yes, he himself was larger than Penn State itself. When you hear or talk about Penn State, it is first and foremost about Paterno and the football team. What he preached on a daily basis for 60 years is what Penn State has become famous for and he didn't follow his own preachings when he had the opportunity to do it. That is why everyone is so hung up on Paterno right now.

[Redplum]

07:27 PM on 11/30/2011

The media created the hype about Paterno being larger than life. I have never seen Paterno in an interview state that he ran PSU, or that he was the greatest coach since sliced bread. He is a man of princples, argue that as you will, but the facts speak for themselves. the Board of trustee made a "moral" judgement about how they felt Paterno should have done more in this case. to me, as in most businesses, the chain of command starts at the top, and if Schultz and Spanier and Curley didnt do more, then why expect Paterno to? (notice, Spanier and Curely are having their legal fees paid by PSU.) This isnt about Paterno not doing "more" its about an institution that fired the low hanging fruit thinking that would quell all the negative media and perception for the university. But, no wait, now you have Second Mile, Board of trustees, Corbett and otherrs who probably knew even more than Paterno ever did about Sandusky..their time will come as well. the general public is a fickle group...and dont forgive or forget easily.

[sheryl stephen]

01:22 PM on 11/11/2011

How can you not call it enabling when if only Paterno had done anything at all after telling his superiors, the abuse would have ended?

McQueary and Paterno socialized with Sandusky and his many young male companions for 9 years (at practices, games (both home and away), at the Paterno family tailgate parties, eating at the coach's table. Saw him using the football and shower facilities with young boys in tow, even after they took away his keys. Even after both McQueary and Paterno both testified for the Grand Jury in 2009.

[psu1969]

02:55 PM on 11/11/2011

sheryl, please post links to all of assertions! Else, you have written fairy tales. And baby these ain't coming true.

[sheryl stephen]

04:54 PM on 11/11/2011

This information is publicly available. In the Grand Jury report and reported on several articles and timelines posted by various reliable sources.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/11/06/sports/ncaafootball/20111106-pennstate-document.html

"Sandusky even guaranteed Victim 4 he could be a walk-on player at Penn State. Victim 4 was in a video made about linebackers that featured Sandusky, and he appeared with him in a photo accompanying an article about Sandusky in Sports Illustrated. 15 "

"During the 2007 track season, Sandusky began spending time with Victim Weekly, having the boy stay overnight at his residence in State College, Sandusky took Victim to professional and college sporting events, such as Philadelphia Eagles games, or pre-season practices at Penn State."

[sheryl stephen]

04:55 PM on 11/11/2011

http://www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2011/11/the-mystery-of-cowardice

"Now here is the detail that, among all the details in the Grand Jury’s extensive depiction of the morally depraved behavior of Sandusky, Curley, Schultz, Paterno, PSU president Graham Spanier, and McQueary, is perhaps the most shocking: Five years after this, in the spring of 2007, Sandusky was attending PSU football practices with his latest rape victim: a 12-year-old boy who he had met through a Second Mile camp conducted at PSU, and who he was in the process of, among other things, orally sodomizing.

At this point, McQueary was no longer a graduate assistant, as he had been promoted to an administrative assistant position on the football staff a few months after his meetings with Paterno, Curley and Schultz, and was made a full-fledged assistant coach the following year. So Mike McQueary and Joe Paterno were at the PSU football practices to which Jerry Sandusky was showing up with his latest child rape victim in tow. They saw him, there, with his latest victim. They could not have had any doubt, at that point, about what they were seeing."

[packey41076]

11:34 AM on 11/11/2011

If you - as a so called journalist - were able to add 2 and 2 together, you would realize that the reason Joe Pa is getting dragged through media dirt is:
1. His status. Whenever anyone mentions PSU or Nittany Lions they think Joe Pa. Why? Because he was a great football coach but the reason he was a great coach was because he expected more out of his players.
2. His theories and beliefs. Here are some of his most famous quotes - http://www.inspirational-quotes-and-quotations.com/famous-joe-paterno-quotes.html - can you honestly say that he lived up to what he spoke? There are a few there that mention going above and beyond - something he did not do. Who cares if he followed up 100 times with his superiors about what was going on - he had a moral obligation as a human being to contact legal authorities to make sure something was being done. In that he failed and the public as a whole feel cheated by this once great man. THAT is why he is getting the media attention.

[psu1969]

02:59 PM on 11/11/2011

"There are a few there that mention going above and beyond " and how in God's name do you know whether he did or not.

[op61]

07:32 AM on 11/12/2011

psu1969 - he admitted it himself in one of his first comments made to the public. Do you honestly believe that if Paterno wanted something more done about this, that the University and the Police would have looked at him like he was some crazy guy and said "sure thing Joe," and ignored him. HELL NO!

[packey41076]

10:50 PM on 11/12/2011

He said it himself either before or when he announced he was going to retire at the end of this season. THAT is how I know. It is such a shame that this has to happen to one of the greatest universities and that Paterno's career has to end on such a bad note.