CNN takes a lot of abuse for the way it handles its job as a news organization.
That"s what happens when you use holograms to conduct interviews and rely on Twitter as a source of information.
But anchor Ashleigh Banfield made headlines for all the right reasons on Monday night for the way in which she used her cable news platform.
In a touching stand against silencing rape victims, Banfield dedicated over 20 minutes of airtime to reading nearly the full statement from the victim of a 2015 sexual assault at Stanford University.
The case has gone viral because Brock Turner, whose mug shot is featured above, was convicted of sexual assault last week.
However, he only received a sentencing of six months in county prison, despite the judge having the option to sentence him to a maximum of 14 years behind state bars for his crime.
In response, the 23-year old victim in the case read an emotional letter out loud in court, addressing her assailant in it and outlining the ways in which his act has affected her life.
Banfield spent the first half of her program, “Legal View,” reading the victim’s 7,000-plus-word statement, only leaving out parts deemed too graphic for television.
“You don’t know me, but you’ve been inside me, and that’s why we’re here today,” Banfield read to open the message, walking listeners through the victim’s difficult experience,
The incident took place January 2015 after the victim attended a party with her sister and then woke up covered in dried blood, pine needles and bandages.
She later discovered that Turner had sexually assaulted her behind a dumpster while she was unconscious.
Banfield has received an outpouring of praise for this act.
Take the time to listen to the letter below:
