NPR Laura Logan Comment Controversy

By Nikki Allair

I’m sure most of you have heard about the Egyptian riots, President Mubarak stepping down, and the jubilation that came afterward. At this point, it’s old news, but what’s been in the headlines recently is the CBS reporter for 60 Minutes, Lara Logan who was attacked and sexually assaulted when she was reporting on the excitement in Tarhir Square.

On NPR.org, they posted a short article about the incident and provided the formal statement that CBS gave all of their reporters and fellow news outlets:

"On Friday February 11, the day Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak stepped down, CBS Correspondent Lara Logan was covering the jubilation in Tahrir Square for a 60 Minutes story when she and her team and their security were surrounded by a dangerous element amidst the celebration. It was a mob of more than 200 people whipped into a frenzy.

"In the crush of the mob, she was separated from her crew. She was surrounded and suffered a brutal and sustained sexual assault and beating before being saved by a group of women and an estimated 20 Egyptian soldiers. She reconnected with the CBS team, returned to her hotel and returned to the United States on the first flight the next morning. She is currently in the hospital recovering.

"There will be no further comment from CBS News and Correspondent Logan and her family respectfully request privacy at this time."

Short and to the point. More importantly, it states that she is safe and recovering in a hospital. That’s all that should have come from this article; a terrible, awful thing happened and now she has been returned to the states. She’s safe. Good.

Instead, on NPR, people posted dreadful comments that insinuated victim-blaming. How people can possibly blame Ms. Logan for what happened, I have no idea. She was doing her job, reporting on the chaos and exhilaration from the mob of people in the square. She was doing exactly what other reporters were doing that night.

Except for one thing: she’s a woman. So clearly she should be careful where she reports and be on guard at all times. She might be sexually assaulted if she’s not careful and on the look out. This is our community and society giving into rape culture yet again and accepting that women are prey and men are predators.

I personally applaud NPR for sending out a statement regarding such behavior, “Blaming the victim is an old, tired game. Please don't.” Thank you. Exactly.

Victim blaming is so old and juvenile so stop complaining about how NPR is impeding on your freedom of speech. NPR is a private company who has the right to remove and regulate comments on their website if they wish, especially if they are negative. They have policies that posters need to follow by.

So bravo NPR. You have my personal full support.