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Rolling Stone Editor Sean Woods Allows His Far Left Beliefs To Get In The Way Of Facts

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Rolling Stone writer Sabrina Rubin Erdely is in the midst of a controversy on account of her gross negligence in fact-checking her incendiary article A Rape On Campus. Sean Woods, the man tasked with keeping her on a leash, however, doesn’t seem to be catching as much heat as he should be. Woods is more at fault than even Erdely for this debacle because he was the editor and made the executive decision to publish it, even though the facts had not been 100% verified.

Who is Sean Woods?

Sean Woods has an editor for Rolling Stone since 2004 (he is now the Deputy Editor). He’s also been a contributing editor for Men’s Journal. Woods has done a number of notable interviews including a Q&A with Breaking Bad’s Jonathan Banks, and an interview with show’s creator Vince Gilligan. He has also had sit downs with the likes of comic book legend Stan Lee and the godfather of skateboarding, Tony Hawk.

Woods is also a bona fide social justice warrior. He’s predictably jumped on the PC bandwagon to oust embattled Indiana Governor Mike Pence over the recent RFRA law he attempted to push through recently.

Woods has also commented on climate change, wrongful imprisonment, and the ongoing devastation in Syria—all of the “causes” typical SJWs bitch and moan about but do little to actually help other than squawking.

Woods twitter

Given Woods’s background it should come as no surprise that he was the linchpin in the unleashing of the biggest media hoax in the last 10 years. Erdely’s fact checking was suspect to begin with, but Woods failed miserably as an editor by allowing the story to be published anyway, and admitted as much:

I’ve learned that even the most trusted and experienced people — including, and maybe especially, myself — can make grave errors in judgment.

-Sean Woods

It’s clear he’s trying to distribute the blame whilst making it look like he’s falling on the sword and taking responsibility for his actions (or lack thereof).

Where did Woods fail?

Woods’ abject failure as an editor started when the accuser, “Jackie,” began to flake on producing the three friends she supposedly called the night of the false rape for interviews to corroborate her story. Alex Stock, Ryan Duffin, and Kathryn Hendley were mysteriously unavailable to chat with Erdely, but the accuser had no problem putting words in their mouths that seemed to paint them in a bad light:

No! … I’m in a fraternity here, Jackie, I don’t want the Greek system to go down, and it seems like that’s what you want to happen. … I don’t want to be a part of whatever little shit show you’re running.
-“Jackie” quoting Duffin to Erdely

It was never verified that Duffin actually spoke these words to Jackie but Erdely irresponsibly took her at her word. Based on that statement Erdely assumed that Duffin probably wasn’t going to come forward at that point, so she decided to focus on Hendley and Stock, but had her reservations about pursuing them for statements, fearing Jackie might go AWOL and grind the story to a halt.

Erdely stated that Hendley and Stock were “always on her list of people to track down” but she never followed through because she “grew busy” working the case. So rather than tracking down the three people who could authenticate the story, she decided to get Woods’ blessing to print a story that didn’t have a factual leg to stand on.

Woods, of course, took the bait. Despite the lack of concrete factual accounts of what happened that night, unconfirmed statements made by Jackie’s (now former) friends, and a story rife with inconsistencies such as Jackie’s date that night having magically changed from a lifeguard to a chemistry student named “Haven Monahan” (whom neither the Charlottesville PD nor the University could identify as a student), Woods gave his blessing and let the story go to print.

To add insult to (legal) injury, he even allowed the “shit show” quote into the article even though it was never verified by Duffin that he had actually said it.

The bottom line here is that if they continued to dig at all, their precious rape story would have fallen apart and they knew it. But instead of maintaining journalistic integrity, Woods decided to put his and Erdley’s careers, and the lives of countless people, at risk over a story that only serves to fuel the false “rape culture” narrative.

Too little too late

More than two weeks after the story ran, Erdely finally decided to voice her concerns to Woods about the validity of the story after a conversation with Jackie:

We proceeded to have a conversation that led me to have serious doubts

Woods, of course, was already well aware of these discrepancies, so in order to save face in the light of this “shocking revelation,” “raced into the office” to decide what to do next. At this point Rolling Stone had no choice but to retract the story altogether and Woods predictably showed faux regret.

It was the worst day of my professional life.

Woods tendered his resignation but Rolling Stone opted to allow him to remain employed there. This stunt has PR campaign written all over it, but whatever the case may be, the damage has been already been done.

What makes matters worse is that Woods appears to still be treating “Jackie” as a rape victim even though the story has long since been outed as a hoax. Two days ago he dropped this gem:

Ultimately, we were too deferential to our rape victim; we honored too many of her requests in our reporting. We should have been much tougher, and in not doing that, we maybe did her a disservice.

Commenter MidJack on RVF echoed the sentiments of men everywhere:

Did her a disservice? What about those she slandered?

In conclusion

Sean Woods needs to be fired. Allowing a fabricated story of this magnitude to be published is the cardinal sin of journalism. Regardless of how stretched thin his colleagues claim he is, journalistic integrity is the most important aspect of being a writer or editor.

Woods’ fake resignation and the subsequent rejection of said resignation isn’t fooling anyone. Rolling Stone needs to honor his wishes and get rid of him.

Read More: Why Haven’t The People Who Pushed Rolling Stone’s UVA Rape Hoax Story Been Fired?

71 thoughts on “Rolling Stone Editor Sean Woods Allows His Far Left Beliefs To Get In The Way Of Facts”

  1. It’s outrageous that the people who are responsible have not been fired. If the shoe were on the other foot and it concerned a conservative journal, there would be a nonstop media outcry until the whole outfit was shuttered. Props to RoK for keeping on this story.
    I will give one piece of credit to the SJWs though: they circle the wagons to protect their own.

    1. But when they again feel the safety of the wagon train is secure, they start picking people out to throw under them.
      The left lives by eating its own. Like rats.

  2. The narrative must prevail – after all, in the mind of Woods, of course there is a rape epidemic on college campuses. It doesn’t matter how many rape cases are proven false.

    2. There is a rape epidemic on campus because #1 theres a lot of alchohol and #2 girls have no idea of being in control of their lives and making wise decisions like being responsible and accountable for their actions i,e getting wasted and not expect something bad to happen. I guess your supposed to learn accountability after college. Nope.They’re still dumb dipshits after college too.

      1. There isn’t a rape epidemic on campuses. Period.
        But your other points are true.

  3. How are there no laws against making false rape accusations? A false accuser should get sentenced to the same amount of time that a convicted rapist would get.

      1. It is about time that men woke up to the fact that the principle function of government these days is to suck the life out of men and hand it to women.
        With that realization many of the apparent paradoxes of modern life dry up and blow away, but . . . Oooooh! The game’s on. I have to go get my required dose of breast cancer awareness.

        1. That’s the problem. Many men do not realize yet how vulnerable the government has made them. Some of them are plainly stupid, while the others are willingly delusional. And then there are the rest of the men like Woods, who are influential and inherently evil, because they do not care a bit to ruin the lives of innocent men just for a few bucks and a few minutes of fame. These are the modern men in a nutshell

      2. Gotta break a few eggs to get that omelet.
        Judging from the look of things, that better be one hell of an omelet!

    3. “How are there no laws against making false rape accusations?”
      There are. There have been for so long that you’ll find it in Genesis. The question is, why is there no enforcement?

    4. They exist, but you don’t see them often because the simpering beta pussies that get falsely accused of rape don’t demand to press charges. Instead, they parrot the inane talking points about how “the real victoms are the women who have been raped but are now afraid to speak up.”

    5. What if a woman falsely accused Valenti’s husband (beta drone) or Woods of rape? Would she pursue that cause as vigorously?
      I mean if a false accusation doesn’t matter, it doesn’t matter across the board right?

      1. Wrong. It’s called solipsism.
        Only if her own son is falsely accused of rape will they ever wake up.

  4. who the fuck still reads rolling stone? shit, i haven’t picked up an issue of that since i was in high school and 16 y/o britney spears was on the cover.

    2. Last good thing to come out of Rolling Stone was Even Wright’s Generation Kill in 2003.

    3. My mother won some kind of sweepstake and decided to have the 3 year subscription sent to me.
      I usually can’t get past the first few paragraphs of the editorial parts before either laughing, feeling depressed for the future of humanity, or both at the same time.

    4. It always seems to be laying around doctors offices, gyms, and public areas. It’s probably on some list of “bland package “A” for waiting rooms”. It’s usually one of the better choices among “People” “In Shape” “Sports Illustrated” and all the female mags they have. I just try to thumb through to an article by Matt Taibbi who is great, but I’m hoping he is looking for a new outlet after this fiasco.

  5. a little offtopic, but i want to share this masterpiece. its basically i guy with a shitty car and everyday clothes who cold approaches a woman, he gets rejected by her. then he turns the tables and doesnt let her get away with her hypocrisy, just watch. perfect display of female hypergamy hrhr.

      1. my fav part is when he takes the sunglasses off and reveals he is the guy from just before, and from then suddenly start barking at her for the rejection. and btw in their first meeting, she said “im not like that” before walking away )))))))))

  6. This Woods guy, he can’t be this stupid.
    Meaning he’s doing it on purpose. I think all the “head” SJWs know exactly what they are doing and know they are leading mentally ill people on moral panics.
    But that’s profitable. Clickbait, “talks”, prestige. From Woods to Sarkeesian, they are really just cruel cynics playing a game to make $$. The ignorant hordes of sperging triggerlords are their real victims. Everybody else is just a target to aim them at.

    1. The head of the SJWs aren’t even SJWs. They’re people playing the game of thrones.
      The people who think they are “head” SJWs are, at best, second sons, but more typically are just commoner born line officers of the peasant army.

    2. And this is why verifiable truth is kryptonite to them. The internet changed the game of rumors, allowed SJWs like this to spread bullshit faster than it could be countered. However, camera technology, and the pervasiveness of indexed information and even outright recordings is changing the gap between truth and internet end user. Ultimately the internet SJW’s days are numbered because there simply won’t be as many unverifiable facts remaining for them to try to sell to us.

  7. Off Topic, but hey, you brought it up.
    When it comes to skateboarding Hawk is the man, bird or otherwise. But we were boarding before Tony was born, and if there is a godfather of skateboarding it’s Frank Nasworthy, who made modern boarding possible.

      1. I will stipulate that Rodney is the father (which is not the same thing as godfather) of modern tricking, but do not stipulate that tricking=boarding.
        And while he, like Tony, was in the first generation born to urethane wheels, he was not in the first generation of urethane wheelers.
        Myself, I come from the age of getting in trouble for stealing your sister’s skates and nailing them to the bottom of a board, and still say a blessing for Nasworthy every time I take a board out.

  8. “But instead of maintaining journalistic integrity, Woods decided to put his and Erdley’s careers, and the lives of countless people, at risk over a story that only serves to fuel the false “rape culture” narrative.”
    I take issue with this. The reality is that he thought, correctly, that there would be no consequences.
    First, he assumed that no one would bother to check. He was almost right. Had it not been for basically one writer at the WP deciding to dig deeper, none of this would have seen broader distribution beyond less visible alternative media sites which the mainstream media discredits.
    Second, neither he, nor Erdely, nor Jackie, nor anyone else for that matter, has suffered any consequence of significance for this travesty. There’s a report from Columbia Journalism School saying they didn’t follow basic journalistic protocols. Ooooohhhhh. Burn! And at the end of the day everyone still keeps their jobs.
    Third, his calculation about the value of the narrative was correct. At this point, there is insurmountable evidence that Jackie Coakley is a lying, attention whoring cunt, who was happy to ruin the lives of dozens of people to get attention from a guy she had a crush on. Overwhelming response? “She’s actually the victim, and even though her story doesn’t pan out, we still won’t name, investigate or punish her, just on the off chance that something bad could have theoretically happened to her at some point in her life.” There is insurmountable evidence that Rolling Stone, Erdely, and everyone else in this sorry affair are just as complicit as Coakley. Overwhelming response? “Yeah, but what’s really important here is the discussion (translation: lecture) about rape culture.”
    So while you’re absolutely correct, the really sad part of all this is that this dick-bag’s calculations were all correct, and he has been vindicated, not matter how unjust that is. This article will be read, and it probably won’t even be talked at tomorrow in the offices of Rolling Stone. They’re busy working on their next fabricated SJW fairy tale hit piece.

    1. Does this not bear striking resemblance to gamergate? There needs to be a #mediagate, which from what I understand is currently in the works over at 8chan. I hope these bastards get torn to shreds.

  9. They won’t get fired, at least not right away – Wenner needs to keep them on the payroll so they won’t turn on him when the lawsuit hits. Then, they’ll get shitcanned.

  10. “It was the worst day of my professional life.”
    Should have been the last day of his professional life…
    Mistral

      1. When the time comes we may find ourselves running a bit short on lampposts.
        Unlike some, it is not a time I look forward to, but the way they themselves have crafted the rules of the game leaves little option between that and total submission.
        And I do not look forward to submission.

        1. I don’t look forward to this either. But I do not plan on submitting.

        2. Amen to that. Don’t make it easy for the blueshirts when they come a huntin.
          I actually do look forward to it though…just between you and me (and everyone else) i’ve just about had it with what passes for reality.
          Going out full metal for the Lord with slugs in front and none in the back gets more appealing every time i wake up to the cesspool we call the US.

        3. This is not a capital crime, and should not be treated as such. He should lose his employment, be sued (and have to pay like Tawana Brawley, who is still paying last I heard), and (in a perfect world) would be flipping burgers until he died of old age. People should mock him, revile him even, but his was not a crime worthy of death.
          Don’t start getting hyperbolic like feminists guys,

        4. Do not confuse prediction for desire. Most often those who predict tragedy are seeking to avoid it. You will search the Internet in vain for me recommending anything of the kind, nor have I ever done so in private.
          You will find me making reference to Rule 4 and suggesting that it be given to them good and hard, so all they have to do to avoid lampposts, as far as I’m concerned, is not enact the enabling laws and policies.

    2. Wasn’t it actually more like a week? This wasn’t a one-day, “you’re retarded” episode… this was more like a week while the truth came out slowly. If he says it came down to a single “day” then what he’s admitting is that he was emotionally invested in the article, and it took significant convincing for him to finally “see” his mistake.

  11. Somebody from R.O.K should draw up one of those credo petition templates and have everyone sign it demanding Woods firing. Just an idea. We can play the S.J.W game too.

  12. This wasn’t a mistake. This wasn’t an oversight. All feminists media outlets spout lies for profit on a daily basis. Its an industry. Its a business model. Its a political platform. Its who they are. Its their core beliefs. Its their values.
    Just like Ellen Pao was hailed as a hero for her frivolous lawsuit, the frauds behind this story will be hailed as misunderstand martyrs. According to the feminist narrative any attack on “patriarchy” is right in spirit even if facts don’t support it.

    1. If the MSM didn’t have novelty and controversy it wouldn’t have profits. In the past the news was an acceptable loss in income. Now it is geared to derive income. It used to be news, not speculation and punditry.

      1. Shouldn’t you be on some feminist site like xojane blogging about lip injections and bulimia, and celebrating your hate of men?

        1. Are you the same “guest” I replied to, of which I agreed with or another “guest” that didn’t follow the thread? Did my comment go completely over your head at mach 5? Need to put a handle on your back and carry you through it? The whole point was *yes* the SJW crowd and the media uses novelty and controversy to push bs to sell ads. Pushing victimization. Selling. Throwing journalistic integrity out of the window for profits?
          Last time I pissed I unfurled my Alabama Whitesnake. Last time my wife asked for earrings I put her ankles on them and rode her like spastic 5 year old on a hobby horse with a broken spring. How the hell did you come to your inane conclusion? You had a 52% chance of being right and blew it like a cheap candle owned by a fat blue haired new-ager. Bozo.
          Did you roll out of bed drunk and hit your head on the keyboard and incidentally form a cognitive sentence or did your cat type it?

  13. Slightly OT: Anyone else noticing a major slowdown with ROK?
    For the past couple of weeks, scrolling the articles and especially commenting through Disqus has slowed to a crawl.
    Just wondering if my ISP is throttling the site or if maybe ROK’s servers are at capacity? The latter would be a good thing, as it means more readers piling on.

      1. Thanks. Just did some tests with other browsers and proxies and it seems that my Disqus account is being throttled or something.
        Thanks NSA keylogger

      2. I’m getting that too Roosh, with chrome at least… I didn’t try other browsers so I can’t tell.

  14. glad to see that rok is keeping the pressure on.
    its doubtful Woods or Erdley etc will feel in any way pressured to resign so long as the public still thinks its ok to lie for a “good cause” but credibility wise they’re finished ….surely?

  15. The whole purpose of far left belief is to contradict uncomfortable truths in favor of dysfunctional utopian bullshit. This can be found in every single position they hold
    Hence my slogan: Leftism is a reactionary movement against reality

    1. Yeah, I’ve thought of calling them reality-deniers! I was inspired by the term “climate-change deniers.”

    3. Terry, that is a brilliant comment which perfectly encapsulates my own views on the left. I thought it was so good, in fact that I read through your disqus and laughed out loud about 5 times as I scrolled through your comment history. I’m on board with you for the most part with the possible exception of Chinese nationalism (quite easy for that to be misused by an amoral leader which present-day China unfortunately has a surplus of). You really need to get a blog though; the Internet is full of idiots spouting off who have a far less coherent world view than you do and are nowhere near as articulate.

  16. This just shows what happens when SJWs take over a company/industry. There is no reason to fire someone, because EVERYBODY there is fucking nuts. Everybody is drinking the Kool Aid. Shit, I bet Woods and Erdely have drinks at TGIF on Friday afternoon, with the rest of the wingnut crew. Their cronyism runs deep.
    It’s the same thing that has happened in education, insurance, the science fiction writers community, etc. All the sane ones have gone, been fired, or been marginalized to the point of non-existence.
    Rolling Stone…it was nice knowing you!

  17. They’re all covering up for each other…octupi throwing ink to deceive.

  20. Could one imagine if members of the fraternity were murdered by a mob of feminists/SJWs because of this story? I would have no problem having Erdley, et al be prosecuted as an accessory to a crime and giving them the ultimate penalty.
    I have witnessed enough of these events in person and via videos of events in Canada and here in the states where these loons will pull fire alarms, block entrances and exists, engage in smear campaigns, attempted SWAT-ing, etc.
    These whackjobs are willing to destroy people’s lives. In my experience they cannot be reasoned with, even in the face of facts and evidence they hold steady to their ideological beliefs. And if they are willing to destroy people’s lives, then I see nothing wrong with destroying their lives.
    Tit for Tat!
    My definition of destroying their lives include disclosing all of their personal information. Home & work contact info, their SSN, tax information, releasing of school records, mental records, etc.
    Also, I see nothing wrong with contacting their future employer and informing them of the true nature of their potential employee. Make their entire lives difficult. If they end up living under a bridge for the rest of their lives, then I’m a happy guy. 🙂

  21. The majority of the time the women who are obsessed with protesting against imaginary rapists on campus are ugly as fuck fat bitches or bull dykes. I think they’re thinking far too highly of themselves. Never fucking mind rape, I wouldn’t fuck them even if they paid me.

  22. Sean Woods needs to be fired.
    All of them should be fired.
    From Will Dana all the way down to Erdely, every editor and every fact checker who approved that story should be fired.

  24. I’m trying to think of the last time I read Rolling Stone or have even spoken to anyone that has read it within the last 10 years and I am drawing a blank.

  26. well, its surprising to me Rolling Stone hired a bleeding mangina for their thought provoking intelligent magazine…NOT.

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