ABC: Another Bad Creation

I watched "20/20's" piece on Mathew Shepard last night and today read the GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) Viewer's Guide I linked to in my previous post. Even before reading the Viewer's Guide, I thought the "20/20" exposé was inherently poor — an attempt by ABC News to irresponsibly concoct a story the facts did not support. The GLAAD guide does even more to brand the episode as shoddy and sensational, pointing out 10 inconsistencies and weaknesses within the ABC report. Review GLAAD's 10 questions here -->

I have an advanced journalism degree, and one of the main tenets that training taught me is that a news organization's credibility is everything. This is not the first time I have heard of ABC News irresponsibly trying to advance an argument — ignoring detractors, ignoring statements of record, ignoring reality — in order to "create" a story where there is none. However, this is the first instance where the offense seems so blatantly insensitive and sinister.

I'm pretty certain I will never trust another "20/20" episode again.