http://www.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/02/13/virginia.triple.homicide/index.html?hpt=T2
http://www.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/02/14/new.york.stabbing/index.html?hpt=T2
Meanwhile, there are lots of ways to kill dozens at a time that either don't make the news or don't get called crime, even when the deaths result from negligence and recklessness of powerful people.
Apparently it is how you kill people, not how many you kill, that matters.
It certainly is how you kill people, not how many people you kill.
ReplyDelete**"This is a family. Pretty much wiped the entire family out," Sheriff Erik Weaver said before Riddick was captured. "It's a sad thing to happen."
**"It's a really quiet neighborhood, peaceful, so it's kind of shocking," neighbor Rashad Bolden said to CNN affiliate WCAV
As we discussed in class, the news often focuses on the least common type of a victim. Clearly portrayed in this coverage--NATIONAL coverage, of a rural family killing. This also follows the misconception that crime is violent in nature.
Following the discussion in class of "What Makes Crime Newsworthy", this article certainly follows the pattern.
First, the nature of the offense was very violent: The family 'suffered trauma to their upper bodies'
Second, the demographic factor that "It's a really quiet neighborhood, peaceful, so it's kind of shocking,"
Third, it is a bizarre and unlikely event to kill an entire family in a rural (sort of random) place in Virginia.
Fourth and last, does this need to be NATIONAL news? of course NOT! the event salience should have clearly been targeted to local relevance. But, given all the newsworthy information (violence, demographic, and uniqueness) the story has landed in the NATIONAL news.
horrible.
This could potentially lead other criminals to commit similar horrible crimes in order for notoriety and public attention.
Good points harpua. Nice connection to class materials.
ReplyDelete