“So if these allegations are so old, why are we just finding out about it now?”

That’s the big question as we delve into the dynamic of investigative journalism, and how it takes shape when tackling America’s biggest names about our most socially taboo topics.

Sometimes an important story can be dwarfed by larger events of global geopolitics or Beyoncé’s surprise album release, but sometimes, they simply  get lost amidst the noise and fade into obscurity. Such was the case in 2004 when the allegations first surfaced of Bill Cosby’s intentional drugging and molestation of several women he encountered over his decades in the entertainment industry. At first, it could be thought that such a national celebrity may be immune from such wrongdoing, and the allegations were mostly hot air, so nothing developed. Cosby continued his career for another 11 years. After crippling silence, the allegations rose to journalistic prominence once again after the concern over the omission of Cosby’s sexual past in a 500+ page biography was compounded by a viral video on social media of a stand up comic calling Cosby a rapist. Soon, several women who had never spoken out began to do so, emboldened by the collective societal shock of conscience.

Only after the silence was punctured did the media follow suit, but it’s supposed to be the other around. Journalists of all sorts must never let unanswered questions lie fallow, lest major stories like this one slip through the cracks.

Written by Aaron Mayer

This post was delayed due to a  drafting error in Blogs@Baruch. The author apologizes for the seeming irrelevance in relation to the neighboring articles.