Review by Matt Nasca in SRM 334 (section 2)
This past week, on Valentine’s Day, February 14, 2013 Olympic and Paralympic athlete Oscar Pistorius was involved in the murder of his current girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. She shot multiple times through a locked door while she was in a locked bathroom. The gun that was used to shoot her belonged to Pistorius and they were the only two that were known to be in the house at the time. The exact details and the trail have yet to start but currently Pistorius is sitting in a South African jail awaiting his bond hearing, which will most likely be set at a very high amount because the prosecution is trying to charge him with premeditated murder. So while we wait for he trail to begin and for the actual facts to come out, the media is having a field day coming up with all sorts of theories and reasons why Pistorius did what he did.
This should make you wonder where exactly they are getting their facts. Pistorius is currently locked in a South African jail and the only legal document to be released about the incident is an affidavit by Pistorius basically saying that he thought Steenkamp was an intruder in his house and that is why he shot her. The media did not seem to mind coming up with their own ideas. There were unconfirmed rumors about a possible ‘roid rage attack on his girlfriend which is what killed him, ignoring the facts that he got tested repeatedly for the Olympics and Paralympics. They said he used a cricket bat to beat her when he said he used the bat to pry open the door after he shot through it. The media also claimed she was having an affair which led to the murder.
All these stories are currently just rumors the media has started. So you must ask yourself, how good is the media? They are tarnishing Oscar Pistorius’ image based on an incident that no one knows the truth to just yet. Can Pistorius still be considered “innocent until proven guilty?” What happens to his reputation after the trial if he is found innocent? The media is getting viewer’s attention at the unfortunate expense on Oscar Pistorius. I am not saying that he is innocent or guilty, but I think the media should wait for the facts before they report on the case. Again if he ends up being guilty, because of the media he will always carry that negative image with him.
---
This article goes over the facts and spins the media has provided of Olympic “bladerunner” Oscar Pistorius and death of his former girlfriend Reeva Steencamp. Since her death, Pistorius has been the center of negative media attention that created a horrible image in the public eye. Due to South Africa’s slow paced justice system, reporters have released multiple reports filled with accusations about Pistorius even though police have not issued any statements or spoken with media sources. These accusations have been repeated so many times that many who look to media sources for information have come to believe these rumors as facts. The allegations include a bloodied cricket bat, a secret love triangle, and even the role of steroids in a “roidrage” attack when in fact the only statements released by South African police were that there was a shooting accident involving Pistorius and his lover, she was dead, and the athlete had been charged with murder. The article also states in order to hold back the wide range of negative coverage, Pistorius hired PR expert Stuart Higgins who represented him during the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics. Their main concern is that in this charged environment with most of the world’s news media reporting the story, the athlete will not receive a fair trial. The involvement of Mr. Higgins in this case can be seen as an example of the British news media’s power in influencing a global story. In my opinion, the media’s role in this case has already done its part in ruining Pistorius’ image, but due to a single judge making a decision on solely the facts of the case, I believe the trial will be fair and just. This article is relevant because it provides an example of how the media can take a major sport story with minimal facts, and use the power of media to influence and persuade its audience one way or another.
No comments:
Post a Comment