AP invokes lynching history in Mississippi hanging death after Black man charged with murder
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The Associated Press faced criticism Wednesday for invoking America's history of lynchings in coverage of a Black Mississippi woman found hanging from a tree, even after a Black man was charged with her murder and authorities said they had not established a motive.
The AP reported that the death of a 29-year-old Tasia Fortune, who was found behind an abandoned Jackson home Aug. 3, had "stirred distressing memories of the grim history of lynchings across the U.S. South." The report also identified murder suspect Jarques Ratliff, 51, as Black, noted he pleaded not guilty and acknowledged that police and prosecutors had not announced a suspected motive.
Media Research Center Video host Justine Brooke Murray criticized the AP's framing in a statement Wednesday to Fox News Digital, arguing the wire service blurred the line between journalism and activism.
The Associated Press invoked the history of Southern lynchings in its coverage of Tasia Fortune’s death after a Black man was charged with her murder. (AP Photo/George Walker IV/Jackson Police Department)
"In this most recent case, a more accurate name for the AP is ‘the Activist-Press.’ The broader concern is that the AP, specifically, appointed their own guidelines as the gold standard for objective journalism," Murray said. "They've established a set of rules for the vocabulary everyone else is expected to regurgitate, and with that, established themselves as the arbiters of truth. How much reality must they rewrite before the others stop following suit?"
Murray also accused major media organizations of applying inconsistent standards when race or terrorism becomes part of a developing news story.
"If a victim has preferred minority status among elitist media organizations, they will often concoct hate crime fantasies and pass it off as the indisputable truth," she said.
"They're too self-important to bother correcting themselves when their imaginary White boogeyman turns out to be Black. In the same breath, they'll lecture us not to jump to conclusions each time an Islamist shouts 'Allahu Akbar' before blowing up busy American streets, if they're not shamelessly race-swapping suspects."
Jackson police arrested Jarques Ratliff, who is Black, after Fortune’s death was ruled a homicide and authorities had not publicly identified a motive. (AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Fortune's mother, Christy Spivey, also told the AP she did not believe her daughter's death was racially motivated. Spivey is White, while Fortune's father is Black.
Spivey described the circumstances surrounding her daughter's killing as personal.
"I think this is something very personal, very personal," Spivey said.
The controversy followed reporting by several major news organizations that initially emphasized Fortune's race while omitting Ratliff's race when reporting his arrest. The AP's initial arrest report described Fortune as a "Black woman" but did not identify Ratliff as Black, though the wire service included his race in subsequent coverage.
Fox News Digital reached out to the AP for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
The AP's News Values and Principles state that its journalists follow standards intended to safeguard its reporting from "bias and inaccuracies." The organization also states that it seeks to report news accurately, honestly and impartially and that corrections should be made "fully, quickly, transparently and ungrudgingly."
MRC Video host Justine Brooke Murray criticized the AP’s framing, calling the wire service the "Activist-Press" in a statement to Fox News Digital. (Hinds County Detention Center/AP Photo/George Walker IV)
Ratliff was arrested after the Mississippi State Medical Examiner's Office classified Fortune's death a homicide. Jackson Police Chief RaShall Brackney said the investigation remained active and additional arrests were expected. Police have not publicly detailed a motive or the precise nature of Ratliff's association with Fortune.
Brackney previously acknowledged the attention surrounding the case and Mississippi's racial history while stressing that investigators were relying on evidence rather than speculation.
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"We understand this case is being viewed through a broader lens — a global lens — and we do not dismiss those concerns," Brackney said.
CJ Womack is an associate editor at Fox News.
CJ joined Fox News Digital's team in 2026, which highlights the vital role journalism plays in shaping politics and culture. He has years of experience analyzing and reporting on the news media.
CJ graduated from Long Beach State University in 2025 with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and a minor in Journalism.
You can send news tips to cj.womack@fox.com and follow CJ on Twitter.
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