Honestly with Bari Weiss

The Media’s Verdict on Kyle Rittenhouse

Nov 17, 2021

In this discussion, independent journalist Jesse Singal shares insights on the controversial Kyle Rittenhouse case and media narratives. He reflects on how public perception was skewed by rapid media coverage, leading many to label Rittenhouse as a vigilante without understanding the complexities of self-defense. Singal critiques the accountability of mainstream media and discusses the implications of misinformation in shaping public understanding. The conversation also touches on broader themes of media responsibility and societal reactions to violent incidents.

01:00:20

Episode guests

Jesse Singal

AI Chapters

Episode notes

Intro

2min

Media Accountability and Misinformation

3min

Media Narratives and Self-Defense: The Case of Kyle Rittenhouse

2min

The Media's Reflection on the Rittenhouse Trial and Social Unrest

4min

Chaos and Confrontation in Kenosha

2min

The Rittenhouse Narrative: Media and Legal Battles

19min

Media Narratives and the Rittenhouse Case

21min

Understanding the Complex Narratives of the Rittenhouse Case

5min

Here is what I thought was true about Kyle Rittenhouse in the last days of August 2020: The 17-year-old was a racist vigilante. I thought he drove across state lines, to Kenosha, Wisc., with an illegally acquired semi-automatic rifle to a town to which he had no connection. I thought he went there because he knew there were Black Lives Matter protests and he wanted to start a fight. And I thought that by the end of the evening of August 25, 2020 he had done just that: killing two peaceful protestors and injuring a third.

It turns out, I was mostly wrong. And if you relied on the mainstream media when it came to Kyle Rittenhouse, you would have been too. Today, a conversation with Jesse Singal, one of the independent journalists who got this story right, and about why so many got it so wrong.

Follow Jesse’s work at jessesingal.substack.com

Read my full column on the Rittenhouse trial: https://bariweiss.substack.com/p/the-medias-verdict-on-kyle-rittenhouse

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