Brown vs. Rihanna

Since the Grammy Awards, speculation and scandal has been all that has surrounded pop and R&B sensations Rihanna and Chris Brown. The couple, whom have dated for a year, were both absent at the Grammy's, and it was not long before everyone knew why. In the article written by Gil Kaufman, his report features many alleged claims made by other sources such as TMZ and E! Online. Kaufman's goal in his article was to present the most up-to-date facts about the conflict between Rihanna and Brown. In his representation of the TMZ material, he only uses the word erroneously to clear up the false allegations against Brown, that claim he was being charged "with assault with a deadly weapon." However, in fact, the case between Brown and Rihanna is a matter of domestic violence. If Kaufman was trying to present the facts as clearly as possible, I believe he should have done a better job of presenting Brown's side. Moreover, MTV News along with the LA Times are breaking normal editorial policy and basic respect by disclosing information on the conflict because of the "high-profile nature of the case." Although the two recording artists are in the public eye, this traumatic event should not be posted all over gossip Web pages not to mention national newspapers such as the NYT or LA Times. If Rihanna's injuries are in fact as "horrific" as Kaufman's article says, the woman deserves a little respect. Moreover, Kaufman does not represent Brown's side of the story very well at all. I am not condoning abuse, but there is obviously a lot of detail behind this story that TMZ, MTV, E! Online and the like cannot present at this time. Kaufman should have shed light on the horror of domestic violence, presenting resources for affected individuals. Lastly, he should have recognized the simple fact that, despite Brown's public career, he is an fallible human, which is so eloquently done by his friend T.I. in an interview with Carson Daily.