Journalism and Serial Killers

1579 Words7 Pages
The dark, ominous alleyways of London’s East End divulge a very gruesome history of women “ripped up like [pigs] in a market” (Grose). The area, once littered with the torn up remains of brutally murdered prostitutes, looms over the city as symbol for the story of one of the most notorious serial killers: Jack the Ripper. The case enthralls and captivates people’s minds even today, over 100 years later (BBC). This begs the question of how serial killers become part of history, an answer found in extensive media coverage. Time Magazine describes the phenomena Jack the Ripper left behind as a “rich legacy” and a “multi-million dollar industry,” eerily analogous to today’s coverage of serial killings (Grose). Jack the Ripper’s case provides an early example of the issues that arose with the advent of the serial killer—issues that still exist. The press has a unique role to play in serial killer investigations, but the line between helping and hurting society is often blurred. While the press has a responsibility to inform society of such serial killings in order to keep them informed and safe, publishing killer communiqués crosses ethical boundaries concerning the investigations and society.
Journalism has a particularly interesting influence on crime and the justice system, which first began in the early to mid 1800’s (Feldstein). Urbanization had a big impact on the development of journalism, as it allowed for the wide distribution of newspapers. However, the penny press essentially created the ethical issues concerning serial killers and media contact (Feldstein). The penny press first started in 1833 with Day’s launch of The New York Sun. Because the newspaper cost one cent instead of six, it targeted an entirely different au...

... middle of paper ...

...Colin, and Sewell Chan. "Recalling a City in Fear During the Year of ‘Son of Sam’." The New York Times. The New York Times, 7 Aug. 2007. Web. 20 Nov. 2013. .
"The Penny Press, Walt Whitman, and the War." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2013. .
"Serial Murder." FBI. FBI, n.d. Web. 6 Nov. 2013. .
"Tabloid." Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford UP, n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2013. .
Williams, Norman D, and Kenneth Landwehr . "Bind, Torture, Kill: The BTK Killer." The Police Chief. IACP, n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2013. .
Show More
Related

  • The Study of Serial Killers

    625 Words  | 3 Pages

    "Serial Murder.". FBI, n.d. Web. 29 Oct. 2013. Pemment, Jack, M.A.

    Read More

  • What Causes Serial Killers To Kill?

    2066 Words  | 9 Pages

    — Crime Library on TruTV.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2013. "What Motivates Serial Killers To Kill | Twisted Minds - a Website about Serial Killers."

    Read More

  • The Beltway Snipers: Serial Killers

    1548 Words  | 7 Pages

    Ruane., Sniper: Inside the Hunt for the Killers Who Terrorized the Nation., Random House, 2003, pg.119 11. Kennedy, Helen. "D.C. SNIPER LEAVES CALLING CARD FOR COPS." New York Daily News 21 Nov. 2002: n. pag. Daily News.

    Read More

  • Gender Relations in Religion

    1269 Words  | 6 Pages

    "fidelity, n.". OED Online. September 2013. Oxford University Press. http://www.oed.com/view/Entry/69888?redirectedFrom=fidelity (accessed December 03, 2013).

    Read More

  • The Legal Definition of Kidnapping

    1597 Words  | 7 Pages

    FBI. Retrieved November 12, 2013, from http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/history/famous-cases/the-lindbergh-kidnapping What is the AMBER Alert System?. (n.d.). AMBER Alert System: America's Missing: Broadcast Emergency Response. Retrieved November 11, 2013, from http://amber.ny.gov/ kidnapping.

    Read More

  • Evaluation of the JFK Assassination

    1368 Words  | 6 Pages

    30 Nov. 2013. Powers, Dave. "JFK The Assassination." CBSNews. CBS Interactive, Nov. 2013. http://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/jfk-the-assassination/13/.

    Read More

  • Arab Spring, Religion, and Political Systems

    1092 Words  | 5 Pages

    Web. 11 Dec. 2013.

    Read More

  • Degrees in Murder Chargers and Notorious Murderers

    630 Words  | 3 Pages

    Retrieved from Http://definitions. Uslegal. Com/t/third-degree-murder/ on Nov 26, 2013 Freeman, Shanna . 2013 "How serial killers work." How stuff works 1(1):1-1.

    Read More

  • The Hunt for the Zodiac

    1383 Words  | 6 Pages

    In a world that has given us such horrific criminals such as Charles Manson, Jack the Ripper, and Ed Gein, there is one case that still plagues citizens. Between the late 1960s and the early 70s, San Francisco citizens found themselves in a state of panic. A serial killer was on the loose. Known for murdering female, and young couples, the Zodiac Killer claimed the lives of at least seven victims. In the process, the Zodiac sent in letters to the local newspaper about the murders.

    Read More

  • History of the Death Penalty and Why It Is Not Wrong

    3309 Words  | 14 Pages

    ProCon.org. 13 Apr. 2009. Web. 12 Feb. 2013.

    Read More

More about Journalism and Serial Killers

Open Document