by Diana Martinez
The news is an incredible source of the media. The public depends on it for information regarding issues in the United States and the occurrences outside of the country. And many believe their favorite news programs’ words and opinions to be absolute fact.
The coverage of a sexual assault of CBS News Correspondent Lara Logan while covering the revolution in Egypt is a prime example of the media gone awry. Many news reporters insinuated that because she is blonde and attractive that she didn’t hide her sexiness and it caused the men to assault her. These comments continue to insinuate that women bring the situation upon themselves–as if women should excuse themselves for the immoral and violent behavior of men.
Logan, an unconventional beautiful female reporter, had constantly been scrutinized for her occupation since the beginning of her career. The news of the assault in Egypt has only added fuel to the flame. 
Journalist Nir Rosen’s statements on Twitter immediately following the report of her sexual assault, said he was “rolling his eyes” and called Logan an attention-seeker. His ongoing comments perpetuated the disgusting idea that women purposefully put themselves in such situations for a chance at the spotlight. This trivializes a serious situation and adds to the stereotype that women are hysterical and dramatic. This technique is also used to keep women quiet. No one wants to be known as a petty drama queen when facing something so traumatizing. For this reason, a countless number of rapes and assaults go unreported.
Many media outlets have questioned why Logan was in Egypt–even though it was part of her job. Why are women still being told where to go and what to do because of their gender? Why should women be imprisoned to the confines of the home or the country because of the illegal behavior of others? The issue is disguised as a means to protect women, but truly, it is just another way to limit their freedom. And since when has the United States been a “safe zone” in terms sexual assault and harassment? In my own small hometown, I’ve been harassed many times. Does that mean I’m going to stay indoors or change my clothes? No. Never. One should never change her ambitions or appearance just to help male assaulters keep their hands to themselves.
Playing the blame game is just another way to make women feel guilty about a situation out of their control. By keeping women ashamed and inferior, the system of patriarchy can remain intact. Bottom line: Women are not to blame for being sexually assaulted. We are not asking for it, nor do we want attention from it–and it is never our fault. We should allow ourselves to be heard without the fear of being blamed, patronized, or trivialized publicly.