MSNBC Changes Headline After Facing Backlash For Empathizing With Laken Riley’s Killer

MSNBC's decision to title their piece "Laken Riley's killer never stood a chance" was tone-deaf and insensitive to Laken Riley and her family.

After facing backlash, they quietly changed the headline to "The guilt of Laken Riley's killer was never in doubt." The move is a clear sign that they recognized the misstep, but the damage was done.

The first headline not only misrepresented the facts of the case, but it also seemed to empathize with a criminal who brutally murdered 22-year-old nursing student Laken Riley. Jose Ibarra, who killed Riley while she was out for a run, was confirmed guilty due to overwhelming evidence—DNA under his fingernails, fingerprints on her phone—yet MSNBC's original framing made it seem as though the criminal had been dealt an unfair hand.

Time and time again, legacy media shows us who they are siding with. Ibarra's record shows that he entered the U.S. illegally, has a lengthy rap sheet, and was even released by ICE.

Conservative voices pointed out the absurdity of the network's stance. Donald Trump Jr. took to X (formerly Twitter) and wrote, "You literally can’t make up this level of depravity. These people are sick. The guy is a murderer. He’s an illegal alien that killed an innocent young woman but MSNBC would rather go to bat for him. However, much you hate MSNBC it’s not enough."

Joe Rogan echoed the sentiment, posting a screenshot of the headline and simply writing, "What the f*ck is this sh*t."

@alx tweeted, “Legacy media is always siding with criminals.”

The media is consistently shielding criminals while downplaying or outright ignoring the pain of victims. When the media makes the decision to humanize those who commit heinous acts, it speaks volumes about what they value.

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