Cross posted to the MRC's NewsBusters blog
For most of the past week, the broadcast networks were fixated on video of an African American teenager in New York who was not only wrongfully accused of stealing a woman's iPhone, but was even tackled by the woman in a hotel lobby as he tried to leave.
As the incident seemed to fit in with the media's recurring interest in white Americans behaving badly and showing racism toward black Americans, the story was covered by both the morning and evening news casts on all three broadcast networks. But the woman's race was not clear from the video in which her face was largely covered by a mask, except for a short time when it fell off.
While most shows refrained from jumping to conclusions about her race, CBS This Morning stood out in rushing to label her as white on the first day it covered the story. On Tuesday's show, fill-in co-anchor Adriana Diaz declared:
The Manhattan district attorney's office says it's investigating a physical confrontation between a white woman and a black teenager caught on camera. Jazz musician Keyon Harrold took this video in the lobby of a New York City hotel where he and his 14-year-old son were staying. It shows the woman tackling the teenager after accusing him of taking her cell phone, which he did not do. The confrontation is drawing comparisons to other recent false accusations against black people.
As the segment lasted almost three minutes, there was a pre-recorded piece in which correspondent Nikki Battiste informed viewers that professional jazz musician Keyon Harrold Sr. had been staying in the hotel with his 14-year-old son, and, while they were in the lobby on the day after Christmas, the woman in question accused his son of having her phone, demanded that he show his phone to her, and tried to tackle him when he refused to comply -- all of which was recorded by Harrold Sr.
Battiste then alluded to past instances of whites making unjustifiable calls to summon police against African Americans:
AMY COOPER (in park speaking into phone): I'm having trouble -- there's an African American man threatening my life.
BATTISTE: Just seven months ago, this video of Amy Cooper calling 911 on bird watcher Christian Cooper went viral, highlighting the issue of false accusations made against black people.
COOPER: Please send the cops immediately!
As the show aired followups on Wednesday and Thursday, the word "white" was quietly dropped in reference to the mystery woman's race. On Saturday, the New York Post reported that the woman in question, identified as Miya Ponsetto of California, claimed recently to be Puerto Rican, although she has previously described herself on social media as "Italian, Puerto Rican, Greek, and Vietnamese."
After MSNBC caught up to the story on Saturday, PoliticsNation host Al Sharpton also described Ponsetto as "white" even though she would be more accurately described as multi-racial.
In the past week, the same networks mostly ignored a couple of other recent, substantially more violent criminal incidents in New York, one of which was caught on video. ABC's World News Tonight and Good Morning America showed video of a group of bicyclists attacking and damaging an SUV and also a taxi in the city.
And, last weekend, the Fox Report informed viewers of a manhunt over a possible hate crime against an Asian woman on a bus in New York, perpetrated by a group of teens who harassed her allegedly for not wearing a mask.
This episode of CBS This Morning was sponsored in part by Toyota. Their contact information is linked.
Transcript follows:
CBS This Morning
December 29, 2020
ADRIANA DIAZ: Welcome back to CBS This Morning. The Manhattan district attorney's office says it's investigating a physical confrontation between a white woman and a black teenager caught on camera. Jazz musician Keyon Harrold took this video in the lobby of a New York City hotel where he and his 14-year-old son were staying. It shows the woman tackling the teenager after accusing him of taking her cell phone, which he did not do. The confrontation is drawing comparisons to other recent false accusations against black people. Nicki Battiste is at the Arlo hotel. Nicki, good morning.
NIKKI BATTISTE: Adriana, good morning. The hotel says it did call the police after the incident about the woman's conduct, and the NYPD confirms Harrold has filed a harassment complaint. The hotel also admits more could have been done to de-escalate the dispute.
MIYA PONSETTO, ACCUSED TEEN OF TAKING HER PHONE (from phone video): Take the case off. That's mine.
KEYON HARROLD, SR., JAZZ MUSICIAN (from phone video): Are you kidding me?
BATTISTE: Musician said he and his son had just exited the elevator when they were confronted by this unidentified woman in the hotel lobby.
HARROLD, SR.: This lady was, you know, irate and, you know, literally just suggested that my son had somehow acquired her cell phone, which is, you know, ridiculous. We literally have never seen this lady.
BATTISTE: In the video, the woman continues to accuse the teen of having her iPhone, and a person who identifies themselves as the manager appears to approach the teen.
UNIDENTIFIED MAN (from phone video): I'm the manager of the hotel.
HARROLD SR (from phone video).: I don't care.
HARROLD SR.: They never asked any questions. They demanded his phone, which is ridiculous. My son is 14 years old. He has the right to have his phone, and he also has the right not to show it.
BATTISTE: As Harold and his son leave the lobby, the woman follows them. He says she then scratched him on his hand and tackled and grabbed his son.
PONSETTO (from phone video): Please get my phone back! I can't -- I cannot not have my phone!
HARROLD SR. (from phone video): Get your --
BATTISTE: Harrold said he was told by the hotel that the woman's phone was returned by an Uber driver shortly afterward. Attorney Ben Crump, who is representing the family, is now calling on the Manhattan district attorney to charge the woman with battery and assault.
HARROLD SR.: This is implicit bias that so many people have, it needs to stop.
AMY COOPER, CALLED POLICE ON BLACK MAN IN PARK: I'm having trouble -- there's an African American man threatening my life.
BATTISTE: Just seven months ago, this video of Amy Cooper calling 911 on bird watcher Christian Cooper went viral, highlighting the issue of false accusations made against black people.
COOPER: Please send the cops immediately!
BATTISTE: Harrold said his son is traumatized, but he shared the video to shed light on these incidents.
HARROLD SR.: You know the stories of so many other people who are wrongly accused so well. So, you know, I feel like it just needs to be dealt with in this country so we can have a fair shot.
BATTISTE: In a statement, the Arlo Hotel said it was deeply disheartened about this incident of baseless accusation, prejudice and assault against an innocent guest. The company says it's committed to making sure this never happens again at its hotels.
