FACTS DON’T MATTER. Only the narrative does:

• “The overall process was more important than the verdict itself because it brought a lot of attention to the issue.” Except the verdict extracted six figures from a young man who didn’t do what you claimed he did.
• “While the details of this one case may have been misreported, this does not erase the somber truth this article brought to light.” Last time I checked, a series of falsehoods doesn’t amount to a truth.
• “We need to recognize that the situation in Ferguson speaks to the broader problems that we still face as a nation.” If people distrust authorities because of improprieties, is it too much to ask that we talk about actual instances of misconduct as opposed to made-up ones?

Related: Bret Stephens: UVA, Ferguson and Media Failure: Narratives and allegations are not facts, despite what the media would have us believe. [$] Also discussed: Amorita Randall’s false rape claim (peddled by the NYT in 2007) against men in the U.S. Navy, and Crystal Mangum’s false rape claim against Duke lacrosse players in 2006.