The media has taken the Hannah Graham case by storm - it has gotten local, national, and even international coverage. For the past month, I have seen a new article about the case almost everyday. I watched it slowly go from local newspapers in Charlottesville that had been posted by friends who go to UVA who were hoping people would know of her whereabouts, to articles in CNN talking about how Jesse Matthew (the suspect) is a serial rapist and murderer. The case presents itself as a very intriguing case - completely Law and Order SVU worthy with all the twists and turns. However, with all of this public interest in the case, some news outlets are sensationalizing information or even reporting false facts in order to seem as if they have the …show more content…
The first is that this case is a terrifying tragedy, where a community and a family are devastated. This is shown through the two articles “Hannah Graham’s Parents Make Emotional Plea for Help” and “Two Girls Gone: Family Shares Grief and Plead for Vigilance.” These articles pull at the heartstrings of the public. It is an attempt to gain more viewers by creating a sense of sadness and also relatability, since Hannah was a smart, young, innocent woman simply out on the town having …show more content…
The Sacco Article, titled “Media Constructions of Crime,” makes some good points that connect to the way the Hannah Graham case has been portrayed. First, on pg 145, Sacco writes that “crime stories that would have been a purely local affair in an earlier period now attract much wider attention because a videotape of the incident is available for broadcast.” There are hundreds of young girls that go missing each year and the Hannah Graham case is not much different than that - many years ago this most definitely would’ve been a local affair contained to the state of Virginia. Sacco also writes on pg 152 that “fear is in fact related to crime news exposure when local random violent crimes are reported in prominent fashion.” I believe that a huge reason this case is so popular is that Hannah Graham was a wealthy, smart, young, white girl who was abducted and murdered. This is terrifying and the fact that she was so innocent makes people feel like it could happen to them, and the media definitely pulls on the heartstrings of so many with this story. The last thing that Sacco writes that is related is that the line between news and entertainment has become more blurry (page 154). In this case, it has been so intriguing with so many twists and turns that it has almost become entertainment to people. In reality, a girl was murdered and it is a terrible tragedy that should
There is no doubt in my mind that Casey Anthony fascinated people much more than she would have if she had not been an attractive, young woman. While everyone had an opinion on the case, that they felt obliged to talk about, and give the same recycled, regurgitated opinions on, at the end of the day you can't really blame them. The media is really just an extension of the masses. What gets reported is based upon what interests people, and this case sure did interest people. I think this level of exposure oftentimes benefits the defendants because evidence becomes over saturated to a point where it blinds the jury from seeing the basic points of the case, and the foundation for a guilty verdict. Casey Anthony's trial is often compare to the O.J. Simpson trial for reasons similar to this. The trials are among the most high profile cases to take place during the new media era, and the not guilty verdict created public outrage and calls for Anthony to be punished. Media figures discussed why prosecutors failed to convict in what seemed to be a can't-miss trial. One reason the guilty verdict fell through could be the lack of Casey Anthony's DNA or fingerprint evidence at the scene of where the body was recovered. This is known as the CSI effect, and involves a jury's desire for forensic evidence, even when a clear picture of the crime is created, and a logical motive is present (English). Many criticized
In this case it wasn 't just social media that perpetuated the idea of the victim being at fault and not the boys who assaulted her.mainstrem media outlets depicted the boys who just fell into a bas situation and that it wasn 't their fault., discussing how the boys will be "haunted for the rest of their lives" this one quote shows just how biased the media can be. There is no discussion of how the victims life is forever shattered by this event. The article continues on with how other channelsngave the boys excuses or that they are a "cautionary tale." Many of the news outlets discussed how the young men 's lives are now destroyed. Another source proclaimed that the girl in question "caused havoc in once quiet town. There can be a multitude
The Leopold and Loeb case quickly became one of the most well known case around the nations in the 1920’s and is still a well known case today. The Murder of a dead young wealthy boy by two young wealthy men. The Murder of little Robert Franks seemed completely random. Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb knew exactly what they were doing the day they planned their murder, they just didn't know who they were going to kill. Somebody they knew that would trust them and only if they had a perfect opportunity. When that opportunity arose it was Robert Franks a boy who knew the two men and even had been to the Loeb house to play tennis became the selected victim while walking home alone that day.This case from any other once the media found how wealthy the primary suspects were. These two young boys were caught and confessed within days. The real significance to the case was the plea.. Guilty. Not only did they admit the murder and plead guilty but they decided to go straight to the judge and have no jury. Through out the years Major court cases that involve the wealthy or famous normally are put to the top of the media’s priority. The media controls and attempts to persuade our view by showing the people what they want to. This affects our perspective of what crimes shown by the media, how the law is interpreted ,and also commercial culture in all that it is.
Media sensationalism is the first thought to come to mind when analyzing this piece from “Losing Matt Shepard”, by Beth Loffreda. A young man tied to a fence, sitting on the ground, beaten and found near death, would grab a reader’s attention, enough to shake our head and wonder what this world is coming to. A young man, slight and youthful in appearance, homosexual, tied to a fence “like a scarecrow” (238), beaten so badly that “the only spots not covered in blood were the tracks cleansed by his tears” (238), leaves the impression of stark brutality, meant to horrify the reader and leave an impression on an emotional level. Leaving an impression the media did, however, not an impression based on fact. The exaggerated journalism exercised in reporting the events of Matt Shepard is not uncommon; the media is catering to the preference of the masses. The public is the media’s platform and the more sensational the event is, the more we gravitate to it, regardless of the integrity of the piece.
After a week, she committed suicide. I couldn’t help but feel that she did it out of guilt. The way she looked apologetically at the photo and the books, it made her appear demoralized. Seeing the picture of the young boy reminds me of you. Just like Hannah who felt that she never redeemed herself or could never be forgiven even by the one person who she loves; I feel hopeless
The final theme portrayed within race, crime, and The Wire is the media’s influence on public views. The media plays a large role in influencing the views of the public. What the media decides to air is broadcast to the whole world as what is “right” so discretion should be used in reporting information. Blacks already carry a large stigma for many reasons, however the media should not reinforce this. Anderson (1990) states that many learn to fear minorities based on crimes seen on television as well as in the newspaper.
Sue Grafton once stated: “Except for cases that clearly involve a homicidal maniac, the police like to believe murders are committed by those we know and love, and most of the time they're right.” This is clearly the thought the Boulder Colorado police conceived in the case of little beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey. As many have observed from the onslaught of media coverage, the day after Christmas 1996, six year old Jon Benet Ramsey was found buried under a white blanket, bound, beaten, and strangled to death in the wine cellar of their Boulder home. With such a strikingly rare and glamorous story of a six year old beauty queen dead, who was a part of a “perfect American upper-middle class family”, combined with a lack of a lead and ever mounting suspicion piling up against the parents it was no surprise to find that it was fuel to the media and soon stories sold and became a matter of competition between the press. So, like wildfire, this heart-breaking story spread, stretching across the nation, shattering the souls of the world. News broadcasts, magazine and newspaper articles, and television specials all shaped and molded peoples perceptions of this beautiful child’s murder, especially her parents, John and Pasty Ramsey’s involvement or lack there of. The police and FBI’s merciless quest to connect Jon Benet’s murder to her parents, seemed to cause the them to overlook important evidence, or at the very least dismiss suspicious findings that would otherwise send red flags to investigators. There are many contributors as to why this case remains unsolved including lack of investigative expertise, failure to protect valuable evidence, and focusing too much on the parents as suspects but, ultimately, the over involvement of...
It all starts with something as simple as hearing a story that sparks an interest, next the question: "why are we so fascinated by this crime or deviance," follows. Then it's elevated quickly when the belief of the formation of a friendship, understanding or even relating to the story. Empathy sets in. Gears begin to grind, to contemplate, create a reason to dig deeper, to know more, to investigate and find out the true story. The media has been very successful when it comes to gathering, engaging, and keeping the public's fascination. They can equally tap into the public's thoughts to help stimulate and persuade them. They're able to persuade the public because in their mind they have something to prove, whether it's
Scott Peterson was an educated man from California Polytechnic State University where he graduated with a B.A. in Agricultural Business. He was married to his wife Laci Peterson who was also pregnant with their unborn son. In December of 2002 Laci Peterson went missing in the Modesto, California area where she shared a home with Scott. Once the investigation of Scott’s missing wife started authorities began to suspect Scott as a suspect in her disappearance. In April of 2003 a fetus and a female torso that was missing hands, feet, and a head were found on the shoreline of San Francisco Bay. The San Francisco Bay area was where Scott was boating the day of Laci’s disappearance. The body was later identified as Laci Peterson and the fetus as Laci and Scott’s unborn son. Scott was also arrested in the month of April shortly after the discovery of Laci and their son’s body and was later sentenced to the death penalty. Over the course of this paper I will cover the whole event of the disappearance of Laci Peterson, relating it to a sociological theory, the impact the event had on our society and how the media had influence over this national event.
During these difficult economic times sensationalism has become more prevalent in the media. Stories involving sex scandals and child murders have taken over our T.V and internet screens as well as the front pages of our newspapers. The media bias of sensationalism has been used as a sort of escapism for readers. Although it may seem that sensationalism has just started making waves, it has been around for decades. Sensationalism has been influencing viewers and contributing to media bias since the days of the penny press. Sensationalisms long history has been turbulent, self-serving, and influential to today’s reporting practices. With the influence over readers’ sensationalism’s media bias have and will continue to affect media reporting for years to come.
Lynching, which occurred most frequently in the southern states, resulted in the hanging, mutilation, and death of many blacks at the hands of a powerful white ruling class. While lynchings of this type have not occurred as frequently as in previous decades, it has morphed into a new form, a form that is arguably just as devastating. Instead of unjustly prosecuting blacks, this new form of lynching targets celebrities and politicians and media to accomplish what is commonly referred to as “hi-tech lynching”. The job of the media is to relay information to a general public.
When it comes to falling victim to crime whether it’s violent or not, the victimization and embarrassment does not stop after the crime is done. Media can be useful in law enforcement and it can also be hurtful. While meant to spread awareness and helpful information, media can often relay too much information and potentially hurt people.
In reference to the media’s role, they have been highlighted for playing a part in maintaining these views by portraying victims in a certain way according to the newsworthiness of each story and their selectiveness (Greer, 2007). Furthermore, there has been an increase in both fictional crime programmes and crime documentaries, with Crimewatch particularly becoming a regular part of British viewing. In the modern context, crime has continued to represent a large proportion of news reporting and with the aid of social networking sites and self-publicity via the internet, journalists are now more able to dig even deeper into the lives of people on whom they wish to report. Newspapers continue to keep the public informed with the latest headlines and the internet has also provided opportunities for members of the public to have their input in blogs.
News reporters should use their discretion and publish accurate and true information. In this era of technology, news and information travel across the globe in a matter of minutes, so the role of media is even more important. As readers we should be more careful about what we read and what to believe, which can be done by cross-referencing the information with other credible sources. Media, on its part should be more impartial and critical of the news they publish so that there aren’t any Richard Jewells in the
Blaming the people that are in the tapes for reasons of her death. Because Hannah's last words are flawlessly isolated among the thirteen parts doesn't mean there's anything perfect and clean about her clarification for slaughtering herself. She's recording on the most recent day of her life. She's edgy with her own particular blame-worthy emotions and with the outrage she feels toward the general population on the tapes. A large portion of all, she's greatly confounded. The thirteen reasons are a greater amount of an arranging rule she uses to attempt to bode well out of the disarray she feels her life has moved toward becoming. Everybody knows that when somebody commits suicide that they have reasons. Maybe one reason or maybe a whole bunch, but they always have a reason to do it. Some people leave notes behind or nothing, but in this case, Hannah left tapes that tell the people she blames for her death, why she blames them. This book shows how some peoples lives are hard to live through because of what people do to them and that's just how life