JOURNALISM: Rolling Stone allegedly edited fake rape article to make school dean look worse.

In the original article, Rolling Stone author Sabrina Rubin Erdely editorialized about how U.Va. Dean Nicole Eramo assisted “Jackie,” the woman who claimed she was gang-raped as part of a fraternity initiation.

“When Jackie finished talking, Eramo comforted her, then calmly laid out her options. If Jackie wished, she could file a criminal complaint with police. Or, if Jackie preferred to keep the matter within the university, she had two choices. She could file a complaint with the school’s Sexual Misconduct Board, to be decided in a ‘formal resolution’ with a jury of students and faculty, and a dean as judge.

“Or Jackie could choose an ‘informal resolution,’ in which Jackie could simply face her attackers in Eramo’s presence and tell them how she felt; Eramo could then issue a directive to the men, such as suggesting counseling. Eramo presented each option to Jackie neutrally, giving each equal weight. She assured Jackie there was no pressure — whatever happened next was entirely her choice.”

In this version, Erdely makes it seem as though Eramo merely suggested Jackie could go to police, not that she should.

Eramo is suing Rolling Stone for the way the magazine portrayed her in the article. After nearly two years in the court system, the trial over the lawsuit began this week.

Lawyers for Eramo said in their opening statements that Rolling Stone had proof the U.Va. dean urged Jackie to go to the police, but that was edited out in the final article.

Remember, Obama — and many Congressional Republicans — were ready to make national policy based on this hoax.