Episode Details

Today's Poll Question at Smerconish.com: Prior to a verdict, who should remain anonymous in a rape accusation case? Only the accuser, both the accuser and the accused, or no one? Michael examines the difficult balance between victim privacy, the presumption of innocence, and the public’s right to know. Using the Cornell rape case as a backdrop, he looks at why the accuser remains anonymous while the seven accused men have been publicly identified, photographed, and discussed despite no criminal charges. He also considers how social media, newsroom traditions, past false-accusation cases, and the lasting power of online reputational damage complicate an already fraught question. Listen here, then vote. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.