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The importance of media representation
Media representation essay introduction
Media representation essay introduction
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Imagine that you are at the mall enjoying a nice day out with your family; then suddenly the worst happens. Your young child has gone missing and you have absolutely no idea where they could be or what to do. You go completely numb and begin to freak out. There have been many parents and families that have gone through this exact feeling of anguish and despair due to child kidnapping. Whenever a child goes missing it is a serious issue that should not be taken lightly and deserves immediate action. There is an estimate of 2,300 children that go missing everyday just in the United States (Linder, 2002). Can you believe how incredibly high this number is? Children who are so young and innocent go missing every single day. This is not fair and it is also not fair that so many of them go unnoticed. …show more content…
At around ten at night Madeleine’s mother went to check on the children when she realized that Madeleine was missing (Telegraph, 2008). It has been over nine years since Madeleine has gone missing and to this day there are still news reports online about her case. It is inspiring to see Madeleine’s parents continuing their search for her, but at the same time there are new cases of missing children that are not getting any media coverage whatsoever. This issue is due to multiple components, but I believe that a main reason for this lack of news coverage on missing children is due to the “missing white girl syndrome.” The “missing white girl syndrome” is a tendency by the news media to cover the murders and abductions of affluent or middle-class white girls far more than those of boys, poor children and children of color, especially African Americans (Maynard, 2014). This is something that can be easily seen and noticed on news stations, for example the Madeleine case. Madeleine’s disappearance caused news headline all around the world getting a lot of
Also, children are more likely to be abducted by someone they know rather than someone they do not know. According to Jackson (2007), young children are likely to be abducted by someone they know because they are less likely to resist or verbally protest (p.523). Children are the last line of defense for abduction; however, children who are taught refusal skills can help prevent the abduction. Teaching about safety and security is a very important aspect of the program. Got 2B safe gave teachers the opportunity to provide their students with a positive and empowering lesson about personal safety. Children are dependent on adult figures for care; unfortunately, in a negative way, this exposes them to abduction. With the support and dedication of Honeywell, Peppercom, and other anti-abduction campaigns, educators have been given more time and resources to put an emphasis on child abduction
Scott Peterson was an educated man from California Polytechnic State University where he graduated with a B.A. in Agricultural Business. He was married to his wife Laci Peterson who was also pregnant with their unborn son. In December of 2002 Laci Peterson went missing in the Modesto, California area where she shared a home with Scott. Once the investigation of Scott’s missing wife started authorities began to suspect Scott as a suspect in her disappearance. In April of 2003 a fetus and a female torso that was missing hands, feet, and a head were found on the shoreline of San Francisco Bay. The San Francisco Bay area was where Scott was boating the day of Laci’s disappearance. The body was later identified as Laci Peterson and the fetus as Laci and Scott’s unborn son. Scott was also arrested in the month of April shortly after the discovery of Laci and their son’s body and was later sentenced to the death penalty. Over the course of this paper I will cover the whole event of the disappearance of Laci Peterson, relating it to a sociological theory, the impact the event had on our society and how the media had influence over this national event.
January 13, 1996, nine-year-old Amber Rene Hagerman was abducted while riding her bicycle in Arlington, Texas. That afternoon, Amber, and her brother were at their Grandparents house. Amber Hagerman, and her five-year-old brother, Ricky, pedaled their bicycles to an abandoned grocery store. This was a typical place for children to ride their bikes because it was an abandoned parking lot with lots of room to play and ride. Minutes later, Ricky turned to head back home, about a block away. Jim Kevil, a 78-year-old retiree, stood in his backyard not far...
Many things that happen in this world are scary and totally out of our control. Child abduction is a horrifying and life changing event that has terrified many children, parents and love ones. Child abduction is every parent's worst nightmare. It could happen in the grocery store, yard or even your child's school. The horrifying truth is that child abduction could happen almost anywhere in the world. However, the most crucial part about their whole experience can be once they’re rescued and brought back to their loved ones. Many survivors tend to feel unsafe and in most cases, and just can’t be the same person.
Many people go missing in a day, although you might not realize it because you are not aware of your surroundings. How many people actually go missing in a day? In the United States every 40 seconds a child go missing, that makes about 800,000 children a year. This number of children missing is outrageous and we need to do something about it. This is the case of Brianna Maitland, a seventeen year old girl who went missing in 2004. I believe that Brianna was kidnapped but other theories include that she ran away by herself and that she was killed by known drug dealers in her area.
There were a number of key players in what was one of the largest social media trials ever seen. To start, there was the offender, Casey Anthony. Accused of murdering her own daughter due to negligence and the inability to care for a child, she was observed as both strange and detached for the course of the investigation. George Anthony and Cindy Anthony are not only Casey Anthony’s parents, but they also testified on her behalf. George Anthony was accused of molesting Casey Anthony in her youth, as well as hiding Casey Anthony’s body. Cindy Anthony first called in the disappearance of Caylee Anthony, worried over her granddaughter’s absence. However, she later stepped up to defend her daughter. Caylee Anthony, the two year old daughter of the offender, was the victim, allegedly murdered by Casey Anthony. Jose Baez was the head of Casey Anthony’s legal team, her de...
In reference to the media’s role, they have been highlighted for playing a part in maintaining these views by portraying victims in a certain way according to the newsworthiness of each story and their selectiveness (Greer, 2007). Furthermore, there has been an increase in both fictional crime programmes and crime documentaries, with Crimewatch particularly becoming a regular part of British viewing. In the modern context, crime has continued to represent a large proportion of news reporting and with the aid of social networking sites and self-publicity via the internet, journalists are now more able to dig even deeper into the lives of people on whom they wish to report. Newspapers continue to keep the public informed with the latest headlines and the internet has also provided opportunities for members of the public to have their input in blogs.
In the twenty first century statistics have proven that stranger abductions are feared most by parents but rarely happen, and the number one abduction that occurs is, parental abduction. “Over 800,000 children are reported missing in the United States each year. Child abduction is a tragedy that devastates parents and touches all of us,” writes Jenny Wanderscheid in her online article. The United States has feared abductions for over decades, but many people misjudge the stereotypical “abduction”.
... Children in National News Coverage: Racial and Gender Representations of Missing Children Cases." 27.3 (2010): 207-216. Academia.edu. Web. 5 Nov 2013.
On May 23, 1924, public newspapers reported the kidnapping and murder of a fourteen-year-old, Bobby Franks. This case not only enthralled the Chicago public, but also remains one that is constantly reinterpreted in modern society today. Both Nathan Leopold and Richard Loeb were considered wealthy and academically gifted young boys. The media produced reports that presented the public with enticing information and helped unfold the mystery of the case. However, journalists magnified details and are ultimately responsible for shaping the outcome of the case. The reinterpretation of the Leopold and Loeb case illustrates that it significantly altered America’s perception of childhood experience, mental health, and the media’s role in criminal cases.
The way Victoria hurts and the indifference of her captors and spectators is brutally tough to watch. We see the cycle repeat and Victoria suffer with her tormented screams as her memory is wiped each time. We can’t help but sympathize, but at the same time, we’re being asked to sympathize with someone whose crime was unforgivable. It adds to the problem with the public being way too invested in other people 's struggles. This can be tied to the Casey Anthony case that happened in 2008. Casey Anthony was the mother of a two year old girl, Caylee Anthony, who mysteriously disappeared in Florida. When the case finally went to trial, the prosecution painted a picture of Casey Anthony as a promiscuous party girl, unconcerned with her missing daughter and responsible for her murder. This drew much attention to the young mother. Casey Anthony is now an extremely well-known name around the United States, when it should not be. Even though Casey was found not guilty, she still is almost a celebrity for committing a horrendous crime. Along with Victoria, these two women should not be seen as popular.
The “Land of the free” is not so free after all. Human trafficking is the third largest international crime industry after illegal drugs and arms trafficking . Human trafficking is like modern day slavery; it is defined as the loss of freedom to another 's control by force, fraud or coercion. The United States turns out to be the #1 destination for child sex trafficking. I chose this topic because it interested me the most out of all other topics. When finding a topic to do research on, none of the topics left me asking myself so many questions. The fact that i barely knew anything about human trafficking, made me realize that there might be many people out there that are like me. People who probably think that human trafficking rarely happens,
Child abuse refers to lack of care or any type of emotional, physical or sexual mistreatment that results in emotional damage or physical injury to a child or a youth. In most countries, children are considered to be anyone below 18 years of age. Child abuse can occur directly by harming a child or indirectly by failing to prevent the child from any form of harm or injury. Child abuse can occur either in the family set up, in the community set up or in an institution such as a school. Also, children can be abused by adults or by other children or by people who know them or people who are complete strangers to them.
The chances of the family ever seeing their loved one again are very low. When the family tries to file a case over an enforced disappearance nothing can really be done. “Other families were threatened that if they did file a case, their loved ones would be harmed, or another member of their family would also be abducted” (Desk). A woman named Amina Masood Janjua, had lost her husband from an enforced disappearance. She has not seen her husband for almost seven years. Ever since she lost her husband, Amina started a campaign for people who go missing because people are too afraid to talk, so she took it upon herself (Marie). Just imagining a wife losing her husband without ever knowing what happened to him, shows that enforced disappearances can affect everyone who knows the
Comparing Newspaper Reports of the Drowning of Two School Students in October 2000 I have been studying newspaper reports about two year 9 girls drowned on a school trip while taking part in a river walking activity. Only one body was found at the time when the articles were published. Newspapers aspire to interest and inform the readers of current topics. Tabloids tend to glorify or emotionalise their articles to gain more interest with their audience. Examples of tabloid newspapers are ‘The Sun’, ‘The Mirror’ and ‘The Star’.