Shirley Sherrod got railroaded by the media that should be protecting citizens against untruths, half truths and misinformation.
In this case, the U.S. Department of Agriculture official was forced to resign from her job. By her account, she had no support from co-workers. She then faced a national outrage against her based on false reports.
According to CNN, conservative website publisher Andrew Breitbart posted an edited video from a speech in March before a local chapter of the NAACP that made it appear Sherrod was racist, saying she did not give a white farmer "the full force of what I could do" to help him save his family farm.
The story she was telling was 25 years old. That should have been enough reason to discredit it. Don't we all have the opportunity to grow, learn and mature?
But, now we know the truth. She was using the story as an illustration of how she's changed her attitude and her views. She did, in fact, help the man save his family farm and if one national news outlet reporter had tracked him down, he would have said that. He has, in fact, said that since she resigned in disgrace.
But that's after the fact. Now, everyone from the NAACP to the White House to the ag department is apologizing. That's good, they should not have condemned her prior to looking into the issue.
But, the news media should have checked the story out more thoroughly, particularly because it originated from a blog that has an agenda. (Haven't heard any of the national media outlets apologize.)
I hope she doesn't go back to work for the ag department, writes a book and makes a fortune.
The rest of us should learn a lesson that was taught in Reporting 101. Check your sources. Then double check. Especially if your source has an agenda.
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