Wrongly Accused Teen: I Am Not the Boston Bomber

◼ The teenage boy authorities once investigated as possibly being connected to the Boston Marathon bombing told ABC News today he was shocked to see his face pop up on television and all over social media. - SHAHRIAR RAHMANZADEH, JENNIFER LEONG, SANTINA LEUCI and RHONDA SCHWARTZ/ABC

When he saw the front page story, with the headline "Bag Men," Barhoun said, "It's the worst feeling that I can possibly feel… I'm only 17."

◼ Boston Bombings: Speculation, Spin, and Shamelessness - Tom Blumer/PJM

Writing on reactions to the Boston Marathon bombings, columnist Tom Blumer calls out the fast and furious smears coming from politicians and the media.

...the smears have been fast and furious. Wholly predictable and despicable speculation has come from the likes of former Congresswoman and now apparent full-time kook Cynthia McKinney, who thinks the cops are in on it; addition-challenged Michael Moore (“Tax Day. Patriots Day”); and Chris Matthews, supported by a host of others at MSNBC who also played up an alleged Tax Day connection. It didn’t matter that April 15 wasn’t “Tax Day” in Massachusetts, because Patriots’ Day is an official holiday.

Apart from irresponsibly assigning blame, the politicizing of the bombings began shortly after the smoke cleared. Nick Kristof at the New York Times got on his Twitter soapbox to take a shot at Republicans for not confirming President Obama’s nominee to head the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; he later deleted his tweet, but he wouldn’t have without the blowback which ensued. Tuesday, former Congressman Barney Frank was telling the world that the heroism displayed by first responders and the medical community somehow proved that big and bloated government is a feature, and not a bug.

The litany of blame-gaming and politicization by the obviously agenda-driven, though truly offensive, is nowhere near as troubling to me as some of the mainstream “straight news” reports which inexplicably held back on unequivocally calling the Boston bombings what they are — terrorism — or veered into their own irresponsible speculation about the nature of the perpetrators.

The organizations involved always claim that they play it straight. Once again, their own coverage has proven them wrong.

◼ Falsely Accused in Boston: 3 Examples and What They Should Teach Us - CONOR FRIEDERSDORF/The Atlantic

What is it like to be a Muslim, or a person frequently mistaken for a Muslim, in the aftermath of an apparent terrorist attack? Americans who don't fit that description can't really know for sure, but three news items from the last few days show that knee-jerk prejudice is inexcusably common. If your ethnic group were treated this way, you'd be walking around paranoid and anxious.