Joel Magid, the Portland musician who earlier this month announced via Facebook that he’d sexually assaulted someone appeared in an interview on KGW, and it’s bad.

Magid admits to the assault he described in that post, but denied a second he’s been accused of—an accusation that, it’s worth noting, preceded his Facebook post (see below).

“I’ve paid for my one crime more than I think I expected to,” he said at one point in the interview. To see public scrutiny as an excessive punishment for a crime says a lot about the way our legal system fails victims of sexual assault. It’s a punishment of a kind, sure, but it’s one that includes no legal ramifications—something that’s all too common in the case of sexual assault. According to the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network, only 6 out of 1000 perpetrators of sexual assault will see prison time for it.

But yes, tell me more about how criticism is an excessive punishment for a crime.

I could shout about rape statistics all day—how common it is, how rare false reports really are—but I don’t have all day to hide in the whiskey and crying closet, and neither do you. Instead, here’s Portland Mercury news reporter Doug Brown, who posted the following on Twitter in response to the interview—including some key transcription of material later deleted by KGW.

This problematic framing is also all too common, even from ostensibly serious journalists. From media handling of the Columbia rape case to the story of this botched rape investigation to school administrators’ inadequate responses to sexual assault, we’ve seen it again and again: Victims are discredited by everyone from reporters to law enforcement to onlookers based on sweeping misunderstandings of what rape and sexual assault actually look like and how they affect people. Media narratives that reinforce these myths aren’t just misleading: They have the potential to make victims less likely to come forward, for fear of not being believed. That interview is bonkers, yes, but it’s also potentially dangerous.

But back to Doug, because KGW’s response here also speaks volumes:

15 replies on “KGW’s Questionable Interview with Joel Magid Shows Disregard For Survivors of Sexual Assault”

  1. Much love to all survivors of rape. Please find the strength to come forward, if you are able. This man should be in jail, and it seems clear that won’t happen without a well documented pattern of abuse and assault. Please keep reporting on this Portland Mercury.

  3. And what about the Mercury mocking a survivor of domestic violence? Is that not worthy of an apology? Oh that’s right… because it was Johnny Depp accused of the crime, it was deemed funny and made into a joke about his scarves, rather than taking Amber Heard’s story seriously:

    http://www.portlandmercury.com/one-day-a…

    http://www.portlandmercury.com/one-day-a…

    What I find offensive is the faux indignation by the Mercury, and the double standard.

  6. This issue is way too important for the usual comment section banter folks. This is Portland’s rape scandal, and it goes much deeper than any of us know. The Mercury isn’t a perfect publication, but they can and should keep reporting on this.

  7. So mocking victims of domestic violence is OK in your book, Pollo?

    “Can the world file a restraining order against those scarves?” -The Portland Mercury in regards to Amber Heard being the victim of domestic violence.

    The punchline being that instead of the victim of domestic violence filing a restraining order, the world should file one against Johnny Depp’s fashion sense. Pretty funny stuff, right Pollo? I’m sure the victim would have found that HILARIOUS! (There’s other “jokes” about domestic violence in the articles I linked to above)

    The Mercury apparently gets a pass in showing such disregard to survivors of domestic violence because it’s Johnny Depp and, you know, the world loves Johnny Depp, so Amber Heard’s pain and suffering can be mocked.

    Good to know where you stand, Pollo.

  8. Um, no domestic abuse isn’t funny. But hijacking the comments to complain about a celebrity story that has little impact on Portland seems odd. Seems like you are more concerned with the shaming of Amber Heard than local women being raped, Douglas_Banter. Good to know where YOU stand.

  9. That article was written last May, and another in August and I’ve been calling out the Mercury the entire time.

    When a “news” outlet calls out people who “shows disregard for survivors of sexual assault” and yet that same “news” outlet showed extreme disregard to a survivor of domestic violence, I find it hard to take them seriously.

    In one instance, making fun of a victim is acceptable, and people like you give them a pass because as you said, it’s merely “a celebrity story.” In another instance, The Mercury is praised for their reports on a local crime and people like you are more than happy to look the other way when they’ve mocked victims of domestic violence.

    Imagine this scenario… The KGW reporter interviewing Joel Magid:
    “So Joel, I hear she’s a stripper, is that true?”
    “Burlesque dancer”
    “Hey, instead of her filing a restraining order against you because you’re a rapist, how about Portland file a restraining order against your music? Hahaha!”
    “Hahahaha!”
    “I know, pretty funny stuff, right?”

    I GUARANTEE you’d have a problem with the interviewer making light of the issue in such a way, and all I want to know is why the double standard? Why are you giving The Mercury a pass?

    Sounds like you only care if the timeline fits your schedule, and if the victim is someone you deem worthy of supporting.

  10. My apologies. After reading more of the horrible stuff that has been said about Amber Heard in the media as a whole, I find it despicable as well. People do horrible things under the influence of alcohol and drugs, and need to stop hiding behind the alcoholism excuse. Including the Mercury staff. I still hope they keep reporting on this.

  11. For the love of god, a bit of snark in a parody gossip column(in which Depp was justifiably depicted as a megadouche-everything written there was aimed at mocking Depp, Ms. Heard wasn’t belittled) does not disqualify the Mercury from doing a tough hard news story about THIS.

    You’ve called out the Mercury enough on the Depp thing. What they did there has nothing in common with THIS story, and your raising that issue in this thread looks suspiciously like an attempt to deflect on Magid’s behalf.

  13. I’m not commenting on Magrid or Depp… I’m commenting on The Mercury making a joke about a victim of domestic violence. Are you really outraged by one media outlet mocking a victim, but stand firmly in support of another doing the same thing?

    Again, I’ll pose this scenario and let me know if it’s funny to you:
    The KGW reporter interviewing Joel Magid:
    “So Joel, I hear she’s a stripper, is that true?”
    “Burlesque dancer”
    “Hey, instead of her filing a restraining order against you because you’re a rapist, how about Portland file a restraining order against your music? Hahaha!”
    “Hahahaha!”
    “I know, pretty funny stuff, right?”

    Do you find this humorous? I really want to know… yes or no?
    Names: You’ve never heard of anyone having two different account names for two different websites? I honestly can’t believe that you people are so confused by this.

    If you’d like a lesson on how the internet works, I’d be happy to give you one, just let me know!

  14. if you aren’t trying to discredit the Mercury coverage of the Magid story, why bring your beef about the parody gossip column INTO the comments section on the Magid story?

    In that parody gossip column the Mercury weren’t making a joke of domestic violence(Nobody things One Day At A TIme represents the official Mercury position on the issues of the day).

    The joke you are belaboring was at the expense of the abuser(I’d agree that they probably should have cut the joke, but you’re making a far bigger deal about this than is justified).. They weren’t saying that domestic abuse was no big deal.

    One questionable joke in the Mercury’s parody gossip does NOT morally disqualify the Mercury from covering all instances of violence against women (a catergory in which Magid’s crimes are clearly included).

    And that joke is not MORE IMPORTANT than what Joel Magid has actually admitted to doing, or the dismissive, insensitive tone the KGW reporter took towards Magid’s victim(s).

  15. Yeah, you’re wrong AlaskanNow.

    I advise you to look up the Mercury’s coverage of the Adam Forkner story.

    Since everyone, including you, is making the distinction that it’s OK to tell jokes in an article about domestic violence, but “How dare you” make one about rape, then the Adam Forkner article should give you a different perspective.

    Look it up… see the difference in reporting. Both stories about domestic violence, but both were reported on in completely different ways.

    After reading, I will pose this question: Why that difference in reporting?

    I await your opinion on why it’s OK to make jokes about domestic violence.

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