Days after Bill Cosby opened up about the many allegations of sexual assault directed at him, his comments are already under fire. What he said last Friday seemed an awful lot like a mild bit of PR, and combined with his wife’s official statement on Monday, one could argue both moves were highly calculated. But that’s not why Cosby’s facing further flack.
Bob Butler, president of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ), told The Wrap Cosby never should have brought race into the discussion when he asked the “black media” to remain neutral:
“Black media, in fact all media should remain neutral….As journalists, that’s what we do, we go in with an open mind and we look to report the story, and I think that’s what’s being done.”
If anything, his initial comments seem more like an extension than a negation of Cosby’s statement. However, Butler continues:
“I don’t see this as a racial issue. This is an issue of journalists who are reporting on allegations and asking for comments. That’s what we’re trained to do. We look at both sides of the story. One side of the story are people making allegations, and it’s our responsibility to try and find out what his response is.”
Cosby’s “black media” comment begs the question whether or not the aging comedian is trying to deflect the issue at hand. In other words, is Cosby’s team trying to make his recent media portrayal about race?
Old male comedians accused of sexual assault by several women say the darnedest things, when they say anything at all.
Source: The Wrap