PressEthic

I recently read an article that, to me, was intentionally biased and aimed to damage attorney Jeanine Pirro’s character. The writer, Serge Kovaleski, whose main goal was to discredit Pirro’s validity in arresting and convicting 100’s of pedophiles, sought to no end throughout the article to prove her a liar in hopes of stalling her support in the upcoming elections. Kovaleski focused his argument largely on her involvement is convicting sex offenders, which happens to be a central theme in her campaign for attorney general. Kovaleski starts the article by specifically pointing out Pirro’s accomplishments in convicting pedophiles only to use that as a springboard to tear that platform down. He begins his argument by utilizing her campaign website stating, “Her campaign site says that the sting operation, which she started in the summer of 1999, led to the arrests of ‘over 100 pedophiles—with a 100 percent conviction rate.” While Ms. Pirro’s press releases repeatedly pointed out that the crimes were felonies punishable by up to four years in sate prison for each count, a review of the cases shows that the overwhelming majority of people received sentences that let them avoid extensive jail time.” Kovaleski then goes on to discuss that only eight of the men prosecuted by Pirro were given outright prison sentences and 93 percent received some form of probation, which completely discredits anything positive he previously stated about her website statistics. Kovaleski also referenced that Pirro believed that it was the judges handling of the cases that chose to give the defendants probations instead of jail time. Once again, he stalls that argument by saying, “Other district attorney’s offices in countries of comparable size, Like Nassau, as well as in larger ones, Like Manhattan and Brooklyn involving the same statute that Ms. Pirro used—attempting to disseminate indecent material to a minor—seem more resistant to bargaining with defendants. To add insult to injury, The Times chose the most biased picture depicting Pirro in a quite foolish way pointing at one guy who looks very disinterested and the other hand flailing at someone the reader can’t even see. Kovaleski also made sure to make mention at the beginning of the article that she was a Republican candidate.