How the media even manipulates which homicide victims we care about

[Mike 03]

I am listening to a radio broadcast of approximately 8,000 people who have showed up to memorialize the murder of a teenager that should never have happened, and happened because of a delinquent probationary system in California.

So, it is obvious we have to find better ways to deal with sexual offenders.

But my real issue is that the media only takes seriously the homicide of photogenic victims. As someone who has written about and researched this for years, I have seen this pattern over and over, and it is so wrong.

In some cases, if authorities had paid as much attention to the murder of victims who were not so attractive on the TV, they would have prevented the murder of victims who did not resemble beauty pageant contestants.

Our media is so perverse, but it is so predictable.

We should pay as much attention to the homicides of average-looking people as blue-eyed blondes.

You females out there, don't get murdered because you have to be beautiful--and often caucasian--in order to get attention from the media.

Sorry for venting. I just think this is so unjust.

[Ozymanithrax]

1. And if they are black or Latino, forget it.

[HipChick]

4. Case in point...missing Malibu female..

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2009/09/authorities-to-search-in-malibu-for-missing-woman.html

[Mike 03]

6. Yes, I just edited my post to include the race element.

You are so right.

[PeaceNikki]

2. If I am murdered, I won't really give a shit about whether the media pays attention.

How about just stopping at "don't get murdered" (and dropping the female thing)? :shrug:

Murders are unjust.

[MicaelS]

3. Correction... "pretty murdered YOUNG WHITE females"

Get all the attention. And yes, I blame the media.

[omega minimo]

5. Ugly authoritarian males rule the world

[omega minimo]

7. DON'T PICK ON "BLUE EYED BLONDES"

this bogus sexist bullshit on DU again. Slow Saturday?

You're looking at one aspect of a bigger problem and end up making the problem worse, by revictimizing the victims and others who HAPPEN TO BE your target profile scapegoat.

Fuck that shit. :evilfrown:

If you've written about this and researched it, how bout spending some time on the other socioeconomic aspects instead of this easy sleazy BS meme?

[Cetacea]

8. Conversely, objects (ie damaged nuclear power plants) are "crippled".

or given other adjectives that humanize or otherwise soften the damage.