Krakaeur's book "Missoula" to be released April 21

[AZGrizFan]

Another article this morning... it does not appear anyone was interviewed for this book. Not sure where Krakauer is getting his "sources with direct information" as none of the main players involved in JJs case have been contacted.
http://missoulian.com/news/local/missoula-hyperventilating-about-krakauer-book-on-rapes/article_363ca6a1-6a04-5094-ae7e-4589a13eab83.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Seems to me like JJ might have a great case for libel/slander/character assassination.

Lawyers? What say ye...

 

[Grizbeer]

Another article this morning... it does not appear anyone was interviewed for this book. Not sure where Krakauer is getting his "sources with direct information" as none of the main players involved in JJs case have been contacted.
http://missoulian.com/news/local/missoula-hyperventilating-about-krakauer-book-on-rapes/article_363ca6a1-6a04-5094-ae7e-4589a13eab83.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Josh Van de Wettering was the girl's attorney, given this statement pretty good chance he was contacted:

"Jon Krakauer has been doing research for this book in Missoula and elsewhere since 2012, he has interviewed numerous individuals with direct knowledge of the cases he has written about, and his investigation was uncommonly thorough," said the spokesperson.

Also a good bet that Pat Williams was interviewed. BTW Josh van Wetering now teaches at UM School of Law.

 

[MrTitleist]

That's about as one-sided as you can get if you're interviewing.. though, Van de Wettering wasn't involved in the trial, rather, just represented the girl, correct?

 

[EverettGriz]

I'm very curious how one even begin to write this book without speaking to the prosecutor, the police chief or the university president . I get that for most issues, he simply used the public record. But wouldn't he eventually have a follow up question or two?

I guess if there's any good news it's that he also didn't speak with Florio.

 

[biga75]

I'm very curious how one even begin to write this book without speaking to the prosecutor, the police chief or the university president . I get that for most issues, he simply used the public record. But wouldn't he eventually have a follow up question or two?

I guess if there's any good news it's that he also didn't speak with Florio.

I would be willing to bet she had a very significant role in getting this book to print. If that is the case, I highly doubt that it will ever be made public. :twocents:

 

[PlayerRep]

There won't be advance copies of the book. The book title should be changed to to: "Out of Thin Air". Not interviewing 80% percent or so of the involved parties certainly reduced the amount of work to do the book.

"Former reporter Gwen Florio, now a published author who teaches reporting at the UM School of Journalism, said she also was not contacted. No one else from the newspaper has been contacted either."

"The DOJ, as you may know, never interviewed even a single (Missoula Police Department) officer or detective about any single specific sex crime reported to the MPD."

"On Monday, city communications director Ginny Merriam confirmed Krakauer did not interview Mayor John Engen or Police Chief Mike Brady."

"Former Chief Mark Muir, who retired roughly one year ago and is studying at the UM School of Law, also confirmed Monday he was not contacted. In an email, Muir said he suspects the book will be unfair to local officials and the Missoula Police Department."

"Unfortunately, I suspect that much like the DOJ investigative findings, his work will be crafted as mostly one-sided," Muir wrote of the U.S. Department of Justice.

 

[PlayerRep]

Another article this morning... it does not appear anyone was interviewed for this book. Not sure where Krakauer is getting his "sources with direct information" as none of the main players involved in JJs case have been contacted.
http://missoulian.com/news/local/missoula-hyperventilating-about-krakauer-book-on-rapes/article_363ca6a1-6a04-5094-ae7e-4589a13eab83.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Seems to me like JJ might have a great case for libel/slander/character assassination.

Lawyers? What say ye...

It would depend on exactly what is said and whether what is said is not true. I don't think cherry-picking equals defamation, but don't know defamation law well enough to know for sure. While I can't imagine that Krakauer and the publisher would be so stupid and careless as to defame someone in a book like, I also doubt that they understand how bad Kraukauer could get clobbered (i.e. big damages) in a lawsuit in Montana.

 

[EverettGriz]

I'm very curious how one even begin to write this book without speaking to the prosecutor, the police chief or the university president . I get that for most issues, he simply used the public record. But wouldn't he eventually have a follow up question or two?

I guess if there's any good news it's that he also didn't speak with Florio.

I would be willing to bet she had a very significant role in getting this book to print. If that is the case, I highly doubt that it will ever be made public. :twocents:

I doubt she'd lie to her former employer (the Missoulian) about whether or not she was interviewed. Missoula's still a pretty small place, and a lie like that could severely damage your career as a reporter/professor.

Frankly, I think Krakauer is a huuuuuuge ego-maniac, and he simply doesn't believe he needs input from others to write a book.

 

[Grizbeer]

That's about as one-sided as you can get if you're interviewing.. though, Van de Wettering wasn't involved in the trial, rather, just represented the girl, correct?

I beleive that is correct, but statements Van Wettering made when JJ was re-instated and when running for DA sound like the basis for the book:

What the book is about:

The best-selling author says that the story 'makes clear why rape is so prevalent on American campuses, and why rape victims are so reluctant to report assault'.

The book's release in April follows several years where sexual assaults and how they are handled by universities have gotten increased attention.
The Department of Justice investigated 350 sexual assaults reported to the Missoula police between January 2008 and May 2012, according to Mr Krakauer's website.
The Colorado-based journalist says the new book 'chronicles the searing experiences of several women in Missoula' with both the police system and their university.
The book purportedly tells how one district attorney testified for an alleged rapist during university proceedings against him.
She later left the prosecutor's office, becoming an attorney for the university's star football player who was accused on rape.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2946537/Jon-Krakauers-book-campus-rape.html#ixzz3Sg9ggA00" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
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What Van de Wettering said to the Missoulian after JJ was re-instated:

Van de Wetering wrote: “Whether or not Mr. Johnson is permitted to play football is not my client’s concern (though the head coach’s comments about Mr. Johnson’s superior character, even after knowing there is an active rape investigation proceeding against him, leaves my client less than confident in the university’s commitment to protect her and respect the court’s no-contact order).”

Van de Wetering wrote that the story in Sunday’s Missoulian that quoted Gee and Pflugard “suggests that the Athletic Department’s decision to reinstate Mr. Johnson is based at least in part on your misunderstanding of the legal process against Mr. Johnson,” and urged the university to review its conclusions.

http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/griz-qb-allowed-back-at-practice-by-legal-misunderstanding-says/article_ececa6dc-7950-11e1-bdb8-0019bb2963f4.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

What Van de Wetering said a year after JJ was acquitted and he was running for DA against Pabst:

Van de Wetering said jury trials are an important part of the justice system, he plans to go to trial on close cases when they are significant, and he believes sexual assault cases fall into that category. He also said he is not going to use “rape myths” as an excuse to avoid prosecution; he believes he can be successful in court regardless of misconceptions.

“That is not going to be a reason in my administration for not going to trial,” said Van de Wetering, getting a whoop from the audience.

Pabst response in the debate:

Pabst, though, stressed the county attorney must focus its resources based on risk and safety in the community – not on public perception or “special interests.” She said bringing just one case to trial can cost the public “hundreds of thousands of dollars,” and a false accusation also “destroys families.”

“One of the biggest rape myths we’ve been dealing with is every person who is accused is guilty,” Pabst said.

http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/pabst-van-de-wetering-spar-at-missoula-county-attorney-candidate/article_633dd852-da42-11e3-9f2c-001a4bcf887a.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

 

[Jerry Punch]

There won't be advance copies of the book. The book title should be changed to to: "Out of Thin Air". Not interviewing 80% percent or so of the involved parties certainly reduced the amount of work to do the book.

"Former reporter Gwen Florio, now a published author who teaches reporting at the UM School of Journalism, said she also was not contacted. No one else from the newspaper has been contacted either."

"The DOJ, as you may know, never interviewed even a single (Missoula Police Department) officer or detective about any single specific sex crime reported to the MPD."

"On Monday, city communications director Ginny Merriam confirmed Krakauer did not interview Mayor John Engen or Police Chief Mike Brady."

"Former Chief Mark Muir, who retired roughly one year ago and is studying at the UM School of Law, also confirmed Monday he was not contacted. In an email, Muir said he suspects the book will be unfair to local officials and the Missoula Police Department."

"Unfortunately, I suspect that much like the DOJ investigative findings, his work will be crafted as mostly one-sided," Muir wrote of the U.S. Department of Justice.

This is why I hope Krakauer spoke with the current Missoula County Attorney. If she agreed that the DOJ investigation was one-sided, then it would seem hypocritical for the repeated shots she took at her former employer while she was running for election. The best part of it is that she was the source of a great deal of the DOJ's information and one of Jordan Johnson's defense attorneys.

 

[grizfromhel]

Why bother interviewing anybody when you can conjure up a great fairy tale on your own??

Too bad for Krak that much of the wind has come out of the sails of the "rape culture on college campus's" with the fabrication of facts in the Rolling Stone report at the University of Virginia. Turns out much of the "factoids" there were made up in order to have a more dramatic, but untrue, story.

This book will be part and parcel of that genre of "investigative" reporting. However, people are wising up to the agenda-driven aspect of this, and I predict that his book will get picked apart by a number of the knowledgeable people he "overlooked" in his race to publication.

My only curiosity about the book is whether he will even acknowledge that JJ was found not guilty by a jury of his peers in about the time it took to walk across the street and buy a cup of coffee. (I was a prosecutor for a while in my life and I don't recall a faster jury verdict or even hearing about one).

 

[PlayerRep]

There won't be advance copies of the book. The book title should be changed to to: "Out of Thin Air". Not interviewing 80% percent or so of the involved parties certainly reduced the amount of work to do the book.

"Former reporter Gwen Florio, now a published author who teaches reporting at the UM School of Journalism, said she also was not contacted. No one else from the newspaper has been contacted either."

"The DOJ, as you may know, never interviewed even a single (Missoula Police Department) officer or detective about any single specific sex crime reported to the MPD."

"On Monday, city communications director Ginny Merriam confirmed Krakauer did not interview Mayor John Engen or Police Chief Mike Brady."

"Former Chief Mark Muir, who retired roughly one year ago and is studying at the UM School of Law, also confirmed Monday he was not contacted. In an email, Muir said he suspects the book will be unfair to local officials and the Missoula Police Department."

"Unfortunately, I suspect that much like the DOJ investigative findings, his work will be crafted as mostly one-sided," Muir wrote of the U.S. Department of Justice.

This is why I hope Krakauer spoke with the current Missoula County Attorney. If she agreed that the DOJ investigation was one-sided, then it would seem hypocritical for the repeated shots she took at her former employer while she was running for election. The best part of it is that she was the source of a great deal of the DOJ's information and one of Jordan Johnson's defense attorneys.

Pabst did not talk to Krakauer. "County Attorney Kirsten Pabst, who was sworn into office in January, said the author did not interview her or anyone else in her office. Former County Attorney Fred Van Valkenburg said Krakauer made no effort to contact him before or after his tenure as the top prosecutor."

Don't think you're correct that Pabst was the source of information used by the DOJ. Where are you getting that from?

 

[Jerry Punch]

From the same place where you get your inside information on the University of Montana football team.

 

[signedbewildered]

"......his investigation was uncommonly thorough," said the spokesperson...."

Lets see, didn't interview most everyone directly involved. I don't know where to start. *shakes head*

 

[UMGriz75]

The best-selling author says that the story 'makes clear why rape is so prevalent on American campuses, and why rape victims are so reluctant to report assault'.

Too bad Krakauer obviously wrote the book before the DOJ (!!) released its latest report on campus rapes, showing that the rate is far lower than has been bandied about in the media, and is in fact lower than the rate in the same age group of non-collegians. That "campuses" are among the safest places to be.

Kind of shoots the narrative.

I'm a bit surprised that the reporters haven't referenced that study in conjunction with the claims being made about the contents of the book. Oh, wait ....

But, what's with that Missoulian headline? "Hyperventilating?" There wasn't a word in the actual story about anyone "hyperventilating" over the book. Is Florio back doing part-time paste up editing?

 

[PlayerRep]

From the same place where you get your inside information on the University of Montana football team.

I get my info from about 100 places, so I doubt we are getting our info from the same place(s). Do you have real info, or are you just guessing or making this up. I've noticed that you seem to have a thing against Pabst.

 

[PlayerRep]

The best-selling author says that the story 'makes clear why rape is so prevalent on American campuses, and why rape victims are so reluctant to report assault'.

Too bad Krakauer obviously wrote the book before the DOJ (!!) released its latest report on campus rapes, showing that the rate is far lower than has been bandied about in the media, and is in fact lower than the rate in the same age group of non-collegians. That "campuses" are among the safest places to be.

Kind of shoots the narrative.

I'm a bit surprised that the reporters haven't referenced that study in conjunction with the claims being made about the contents of the book. Oh, wait ....

But, what's with that Missoulian headline? "Hyperventilating?" There wasn't a word in the actual story about anyone "hyperventilating" over the book. Is Florio back doing part-time paste up editing?

75, look later in the article. I think it was from a book store owner or something like that. So, one person says hyperventilating, and now all of Missoula is hyperventilating.

 

[biga75]

I'm very curious how one even begin to write this book without speaking to the prosecutor, the police chief or the university president . I get that for most issues, he simply used the public record. But wouldn't he eventually have a follow up question or two?

I guess if there's any good news it's that he also didn't speak with Florio.

I would be willing to bet she had a very significant role in getting this book to print. If that is the case, I highly doubt that it will ever be made public. :twocents:

I doubt she'd lie to her former employer (the Missoulian) about whether or not she was interviewed. Missoula's still a pretty small place, and a lie like that could severely damage your career as a reporter/professor.

Frankly, I think Krakauer is a huuuuuuge ego-maniac, and he simply doesn't believe he needs input from others to write a book.

I'll admit I only glossed over this morning's Missoulian article and must have missed this snippet provided by PR: "Former reporter Gwen Florio, now a published author who teaches reporting at the UM School of Journalism, said she also was not contacted. No one else from the newspaper has been contacted either."

It would make for a better story if she was involved though... :ugeek:

 

[PlayerRep]

"......his investigation was uncommonly thorough," said the spokesperson...."

Lets see, didn't interview most everyone directly involved. I don't know where to start. *shakes head*

I noticed that quote too, and started chuckling. That statement appears to be a total lie. "Thorough"? They've got to be kidding us. Maybe the key is "uncommon", in that perhaps writers don't usually do much research, and Krakauer did a little bit more.

 

[MrTitleist]

If a book is all it takes for some in this town to "hyperventilate" can't imagine what crossing the street does to them.