In 2021, rapper A$AP Rocky allegedly shot a former friend with a semiautomatic weapon during a street fight. He was charged with two felony counts of assault but was released on bail in 2022. The trial began on January 24th, 2025 and all eyes were watching.
Independent reporters took to social media to “live-tweet” from the trial as much as they were legally allowed to. One to note in particular was Meghann Cuniff, a legal news reporter who gained popularity and traction after she followed the Megan Thee Stallion V. Tory Lanez trial and conviction.
News media has undergone an interesting transformation where trusted news sources like CNN, ABC or CBS are not the first place to learn about events. It’s more common for us to hear about something and head to social media, usually for things like proof, reaction and public input. We’re all guilty of it.
I know I am — I check Twitter more than I check my text messages.
It’s one of the new norms in this age of social media. While it’s great to have access to a different form of information in the palm of our hands, I think it can lead to a misunderstanding of what’s really going on in the world. Unfortunately, we’re influenced from the very beginning to agree with the majority stance and choose a side.
What we should be doing is consuming information from a neutral stance.
Yes, independent reporters can be reliable but they are often known to mix their personal views within their reports. They aren’t held to the same impartial requirement as already-established news outlets, where they simply report the facts and leave it at that. These days, “social media reporters” are the first people we turn to. We are left feeding off of their opinion mixed with the facts and this makes it almost impossible for us to stay objective.
From start to finish of A$AP Rocky’s trial, Cuniff’s and other independent reporters’ tweets influenced the public understanding that Rocky would undoubtedly be found guilty of the crime he was accused of. While it wasn’t blatantly obvious, you could sense the disappointment in the reporters’ response to the final verdict of “not guilty”, even though reporters are meant to just report the facts.
Most were stunned that someone who was seen on camera with a weapon during the altercation could get off scot-free. They also couldn’t believe that the victim’s testimony didn’t make a difference. Even the jury believed these comments, thinking that the weapon seen in the footage was a fake and drawing forth questions about the judicial system and its efficiency.
Other reporters were thrilled by the verdict. They shared their takes which seemed to be rooted in a racial bias, claiming it wasn’t necessary for another black man be incarcerated and taken from his children. While those may be justified stances and opinions reporters are entitled to have, I don’t think they should have a place in true news media.
There are plenty of blogs, radio shows, podcasts and tabloids where that type of reporting is acceptable. However, if you’re going to report on the facts you should stick to just the facts. Stay impartial and don’t pick a side.
The thing is that we can’t help but to listen to them. I think putting complete trust in “social media” reporters is as good as putting your trust in The Shade Room for updates on politics. The Shade Room is a blog that is notorious for drama-fueled celebrity gossip and egregious misinformation. For example, in 2023, the site ran a story claiming that Biden was giving a one-time payment per household for Maui residents affected by the Hawaii wildfires. This was later debunked and led The Shade Room to outstanding amounts of backlash that was long overdue and deserved.
We should all be very clear on the difference between news and opinion and take it upon ourselves to stay objective, as well as be able to form our own interpretations based on the facts.
Now if you were asking me, I would tell you that I think Rocky should have been found guilty just from the CCTV footage alone, but that’s another discussion for another time. Plus, that’s just my opinion out of millions of other people. My opinion is not fact, and it sure isn’t news.
