Journalism and Serial Killers

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The dark, ominous alleyways of London’s East End divulge a very gruesome history of women “ripped up like [pigs] in a market” (Grose). The area, once littered with the torn up remains of brutally murdered prostitutes, looms over the city as symbol for the story of one of the most notorious serial killers: Jack the Ripper. The case enthralls and captivates people’s minds even today, over 100 years later (BBC). This begs the question of how serial killers become part of history, an answer found in extensive media coverage. Time Magazine describes the phenomena Jack the Ripper left behind as a “rich legacy” and a “multi-million dollar industry,” eerily analogous to today’s coverage of serial killings (Grose). Jack the Ripper’s case provides an early example of the issues that arose with the advent of the serial killer—issues that still exist. The press has a unique role to play in serial killer investigations, but the line between helping and hurting society is often blurred. While the press has a responsibility to inform society of such serial killings in order to keep them informed and safe, publishing killer communiqués crosses ethical boundaries concerning the investigations and society.
Journalism has a particularly interesting influence on crime and the justice system, which first began in the early to mid 1800’s (Feldstein). Urbanization had a big impact on the development of journalism, as it allowed for the wide distribution of newspapers. However, the penny press essentially created the ethical issues concerning serial killers and media contact (Feldstein). The penny press first started in 1833 with Day’s launch of The New York Sun. Because the newspaper cost one cent instead of six, it targeted an entirely different au...

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...Colin, and Sewell Chan. "Recalling a City in Fear During the Year of ‘Son of Sam’." The New York Times. The New York Times, 7 Aug. 2007. Web. 20 Nov. 2013. .
"The Penny Press, Walt Whitman, and the War." PBS. PBS, n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2013. .
"Serial Murder." FBI. FBI, n.d. Web. 6 Nov. 2013. .
"Tabloid." Oxford English Dictionary. Oxford UP, n.d. Web. 12 Nov. 2013. .
Williams, Norman D, and Kenneth Landwehr . "Bind, Torture, Kill: The BTK Killer." The Police Chief. IACP, n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2013. .

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