Before Tara Reade was widely reported on, I had concerns about the inconsistencies in her stories.
The reason I didn't tweet about her allegations for a while is bc I couldn't responsibly do so w/out noting those inconsistencies.
But I worried that'd feel like punching down. 1/
The reason I didn't tweet about her allegations for a while is bc I couldn't responsibly do so w/out noting those inconsistencies.
But I worried that'd feel like punching down. 1/
And especially as a man, I thought it'd be best to wait and see, especially since major media outlets were holding off on reporting her allegations bc of concerns about red flags they saw & lack of corroboration. So I took a "wait-and-see" approach. 2/
The issues with Tara Reade's story didn't get better and other concerns about a pattern of behavior arose, but I knew sexual assault victims don't have to be perfect or 100% consistent for their stories to be true... 3/
But while journalists at numerous mainstream outlets continued working on Reade's story to try to see if they could corroborate her claims beyond the issues with them, several left-wing journalists, including Ryan Grim, forced her story out there, warts and all. 4/
But the story now went way beyond her earlier claims, and now it was a full-fledged Biden sexual assault claim (in 2019 she explicitly said he never did).
This forced other outlets who'd held off while cautiously investigating to corroborate her to now rush out stories. 5/
This forced other outlets who'd held off while cautiously investigating to corroborate her to now rush out stories. 5/
But just like I didn't feel I could responsibly tweet about her claims without reporting the problems with Tara Reade's story and past behavior that might suggest fabulist tendencies (including the weird Russia blogs), news outlets couldn't either. 6/
The result has been a raft, not only of stories about Reade's allegations, but of the problems reporters ran into over the past year trying to verify her claims.
Some of these stories on Tara Reade have made me deeply uncomfortable. Some read like smear pieces against her. 7/
Some of these stories on Tara Reade have made me deeply uncomfortable. Some read like smear pieces against her. 7/
But I also get why, in light of her allegations getting wide attention, much of this reporting on her past behavior is necessary and even vital context (not all, though).
Even so, it still feels like punching down, and I'd be deeply uncomfortable writing these stories myself. 8/
Even so, it still feels like punching down, and I'd be deeply uncomfortable writing these stories myself. 8/
But that's why responsible journalists don't rush out to break sexual assault allegations without serious efforts to corroborate those claims & assess the accuser's credibility first. And that's what journalists like @lkmcgann tried to do (MUST READ). 9/ google.com/amp/s/www.vox.…
Rushing to break sexual assault allegations when there are so many red flags (as was the case here, unlike when it came to Cosby/Moore/Trump/Franken accusers) doesn't just hurt a reporter's credibility. 10/
Tara Reade, whether people have sympathy or not, was hurt here, too. Instead of waiting until/to see if a thorough reporter could reconcile the red flags & corroborate her claims & present her in a credible light, forcing it early ensured a raft of negative stories about HER. 11/
If after diligently trying to corroborate her claims & honestly listening & taking her seriously reporters found her story didn't hold up, then the correct thing to do would've been not to use their platforms to throw her to the den of wolves that is a presidential campaign. 12/
If they'd been able to overcome the red flags & find her credible & corroborate her claims, things would be far different.
But even if that were still possible, having this credibility assessment play out publicly has already damaged her & locked millions in against her. 13/
But even if that were still possible, having this credibility assessment play out publicly has already damaged her & locked millions in against her. 13/
Who is that fair to? No one. Not voters, not Biden, not Reade, not sexual assault victims, not the other reporters who tried to do this story right.
Unlike others, Biden didn't have other women make similar assault claims, nor is there tape of him bragging about doing it. 14/
Unlike others, Biden didn't have other women make similar assault claims, nor is there tape of him bragging about doing it. 14/
Reade's claim was always going to have a higher bar, bc in most cases patterns emerge. They didn't here (people saying he's too touchy in non-sexual ways and it makes them uncomfortable is much different).
The Rush to put her story on a national stage made it even tougher. 15/
The Rush to put her story on a national stage made it even tougher. 15/
Think about the burden on a lone accuser—especially one whose alleged attacker has no "grab 'em by the pussy" tape—before rushing to put their name on a national stage without 1st doing due diligence. You may think you're championing them—but the result may be the opposite. 16/x
