Following is my email to SF Chronicle reporter Heather Knight responding to her hit piece story on San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin and his handling of domestic abuse prosecutions.
Heather is an award winning reporter who does good, solid work. This compounds the disappointment I feel right now.
Looking back in history it was William Randolph Hearst whose publication sensationalized and promotedAmerican involvement in the Spanish-American War in 1898. This style reporting, which was prominent in the 1890’s, was often referred to as Yellow Journalism. It was a forerunner to the current era of Fake News and Nightcrawler journalism.
Heather
The lede is buried in your story.
The number of misdemeanors prosecuted in 2020 was unchanged. Felonies were down slightly. By the time the normal reader saw the blaring headlines (which someone else probably wrote) and read the opening graphs they were, “Like, Wow!!!!”
Mission accomplished by The Chronicle.
I know folks have a morbid fascination with this subject. Last night I posted on this site about Ghislaine Maxwell. Over 500 people have looked, already in less than 24 hours.
I am disappointed there is little or any nuance in the story.I expect this type reporting from Dion Lim on Channel 7 ABC News.
I like your work and am disappointed.
Lee HeidhuesđŸ¤¨
San Francisco Chronicle 4.24.2021
Lee's Perspective 