[John K.]

You make a very good point. Why did the death in Arkansas get so little coverage? On the same token, I asked a similar question a few months ago, a question that was never posted. There was an incident that mirrored the dragging death in Texas involving two American Indians nearly killing a white man. It was also marginalized. I think the answer is a simple one. The media desires readers and viewers, and so they choose the stories that take on a controversial angle to draw in that audience. However, there are a number of politically active movements out there, legitimite and otherwise, that affect the mix as well. It is safer to sensationalize the Shepard case, picking and choosing what information to report or not, depending on what the gay rights activists will tolerate. There were aspects of that incident that never came out in the media (though the result would not have changed). However, to sensationalize the death of a teen by two homosexuals would risk the protest of gay rights activists, and possibly reduce readers or viewers - which is contrary to the media's goal. The same is true in the reporting of racial, political and religious issues.

User Detail :  

Name : John K., Gender : M, Age : 27, City : Cranford, State : NJ Country : United States, Occupation : Chemical Engineer, Education level : Over 4 Years of College, Social class : Middle class,