Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Media Irresponsibility
It is interesting the lynch mob mentality created by the media in response to the jury ruling in the Casey Anthony trial--the woman acquitted for killing her daughter Caylee. The MSM had framed the story in a way that made it impossible for the public not in the courtroom to see her as anything but guilty--an immature/selfish/out of control mother, a dysfunctional familial relationship, and the hint that the father of the child was her brother. Further there were stories about an incompetent defense attorney, non-credible defense witnesses, and a "slam dunk" prosecution strategy. So when the jurors returned a "not guilty" verdict, the public blew up.
The climate has become so volatile that the judge has sealed the name of the jurors, refusing to allow the media to report who these 12 people are. But the press--seeing an opportunity to cozy up to a public that has loathed them for the past two decades--is doing what it can to reveal the identities of the jurors. For instance, there is this CBS story: The story is about Juror 12, who has become so fearful for her life that she has left her job and fled town. Here is what CBS wrote: "Juror No. 12, a red-haired woman in her 60s, told the court she worked at a Publix Grocery when she was questioned as a potential juror." Publix is a large grocery chain in the Southern US. If you are a regular shopper at this grocery, it won't be hard to figure out who this person is, in particular now that she is no longer showing up for work. CBS could have simply reported: "Juror No. 12, a red-haired woman in her 60s..." There was no reason to identify her place of employment other than helping the viewing public figure out the identity of a juror while also not violating the judge's ruling.
The climate has become so volatile that the judge has sealed the name of the jurors, refusing to allow the media to report who these 12 people are. But the press--seeing an opportunity to cozy up to a public that has loathed them for the past two decades--is doing what it can to reveal the identities of the jurors. For instance, there is this CBS story: The story is about Juror 12, who has become so fearful for her life that she has left her job and fled town. Here is what CBS wrote: "Juror No. 12, a red-haired woman in her 60s, told the court she worked at a Publix Grocery when she was questioned as a potential juror." Publix is a large grocery chain in the Southern US. If you are a regular shopper at this grocery, it won't be hard to figure out who this person is, in particular now that she is no longer showing up for work. CBS could have simply reported: "Juror No. 12, a red-haired woman in her 60s..." There was no reason to identify her place of employment other than helping the viewing public figure out the identity of a juror while also not violating the judge's ruling.
