The past few weeks have provided a few examples of unique situations where a crime normally processed like every other has become big news, because of celebrity or impact in an area. And it leaves one to consider, do circumstances always justify extraordinary coverage?
One of the biggest topics as of late is the media attention those arrested at Cedarfest have been garnering. State News runs updates of arraignments daily in their print, as well as online editions. Cityofeastlansing.com also posts frequent updates on those people arrested, as well as pages containing suspect photos and mugshots of those already arrested.
And just last Monday NBA star Carmelo Anthony was arrested on "suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol." The story of his arrest was plastered all over sports television, radio and internet sites.
These stories call into question the necessity of overwhelming coverage of a crime that in other situations would warrant none. To what degree do circumstances make one person's mistake more important to hear than someone else's? Many have criticized the State News in letters to the editor and in blog posts for the extra attention given to the Cedarfest arrestees when they normally they wouldn't be showcasing those people if it weren't for the situation they were in. Where is that line and what is the value of crossing it?
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment