Oscar Pistorius was born in the year 1986 in South Africa. He was a sprint runner who was convicted as a murderer. Importantly, both of his legs were amputated when he was 11 months. Oscar competed in both the Paralympic and the Olympic Games where he was involved in sprinting events. He tried joining the non-disabled international competition are becoming a Paralympic champion. However, he was denied the chance with claims that his artificial legs would give him an unfair advantage. He managed to win the legal disputes and eventually became the first amputee who won the track medal for the non-disabled. On 14th February 2013, Pistorius shot his girlfriend in his home in Pretoria South Africa. He defended himself that he had mistaken his girlfriend for an intruder, who was hiding in the bathroom. However, he was arrested and charged with murder. During his trial, the athlete was found guilty of homicide hence receiving a five-year sentence. Pistorius tried to appeal the verdict and was given a house arrest, but in June 2016, his prison sentence was extended to six years imprisonment due to murder crimes. Social media, as well as, the global media has had a severe impact on the culture of individuals (Commey, 2015).
In most cases, the social media has become a popular haunt on the internet. In the past, it would be difficult to spot any journalists giving or acquiring information outside the courtrooms. However, this was quite different in Oscar’s case since the journalists flooded outside the court halls leading to an impression of a media trial due to the amount of attention that the journalists gave towards Pistorius’ case. In addition to that, photos of a bloody bathroom in Pistorius’ home were leaked into the sky news before the first court appearance. Moreover, the photos were leaked before the genuineness of the case was tested in the court. Therefore, this shows that the media affects the way in which trials are conducted and the way people view the crime offenders. Thus, this paper seeks to determine the effects of the media in Pistorius’ murder case as compared to that of Simpson.
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Contrasting the media approaches in US, UK, and the world
The reaction of the media in Pistorius’ case led to the fueling of the public’s interest on the case. Furthermore, Twitter was the first news source on the vents that surrounded his arrest. Besides that, about 85 percent of all the trial proceedings and discussions in Pistorius’ murder case occurred in Twitter. The issue and the involvement of media were intense until the presiding magistrate of Pistorius’ murder case addressed the media coverage issue. The remarks of the judge were stimulated and catalyzed by the photographs that leaked in the sky news that showed the bloody bathroom at the scene of the crime (Miller, 2013). Therefore, the media houses turned Pistorius’ case into a trial media. Most leakages of the evidence information were unprecedented in the media news of South Africa. Besides that, most journalists that attend the court proceedings report errors since they report evidence that has not been released or present by the courtrooms.
The South African media posed trials and judgments since they accused the athlete of murder. Besides that, the media groups of overseas countries threatened the justice panels for its sanctity. After the leak of the disgusting blood photos in the by a media station, the Pistorius’ family was left shaken. Besides that, a channel in Britain broadcast a television program whereby the parent’s of the girlfriend allegedly murdered by Pistorius hosts claiming that Oscar was the only person who knows what happened to their daughter. Thus, the South African media, as well as, the media stations of the world, were acting in disrespect to the South African Republic. Most of the information provided by the media houses was a disgraceful conduct towards the courts since they acted on the outright concept of the court. Further, Pistorius was noticed to enter a court hall accompanied with camera sticks and flashes after a three-month period of low profile. The acts of the media personnel showed as if he was being torn apart.
O.J Simpson murder case
O.J Simpson was a national footballer and an actor who was accused of two cases of murder in the year 1994. The trial case was held at the Los Angeles Court. Simpson was charged for killing his ex-wife and her friend. In addition to that, Simpson was later acquitted in the year 1995. The case of Simpson was one of the most publicized criminal trials in America. The trials on Simpson that occurred in the year 1995 were regarded as the trial of the century. Besides that, one could turn on a television station or listen to radio, and all that was being reported was the trials on the footballer without any court proceedings being held (Dan, 2013). The media coverage and the entire USA citizens affected the opinion of the society on the murder case. In addition to that, some media houses claimed the Simpson was a criminal who deserved to face the punishments of the law. Further, Simpson faced charges since he was involved in a robbery taking place at the Palace Station Hotel and a casino as well. After his arrest, he escaped in the year 2007, the media houses that were against Simpson defended him claiming the justice had been served. As a result, the media coverage and their views as well broadened.
The trials facing both Simpson and Oscar were similar in that the two trails were accompanied with significant media trials that affected the victims, as well as, their families. Besides that, the media presented false trials that had not been released or evidenced in the court halls. In both cases, the effects of the media propaganda affected the on-going trials with most media stations placing a negative effect of the criminals before a court decision was made.
Sensationalism
Sensationalism is defined as empiric evidence that limits the knowledge sources to a sense of beliefs and perceptions that could be either false or right. Emotion in the trials faced by both Simpson and Oscar portrayed the sensational nature of the media stations since they influenced the beliefs of the society largely. Besides that, sensationalism places a great emphasis by soliciting emotional responses instead of reporting facts in detail. In most cases, such as reporting lacks a purpose. In addition to that, insignificant details are exaggerated through the sensational reports resulting in controversial aspects of a story. In most cases, sensationalism is aimed at pleasing the audience. The media stations reporting on the trials faced by Simpson and Oscar exaggerated the reports since the two people were celebrities. Thus, most media houses thought that publicizing the trials and putting on additional information would attract a significant mass of audience. Moreover, the media houses publicized the trials of the two individuals in such a way that the readers and the audience would not discern the issues of concern since they evoked an emotional response in the society.
Impact of sensationalism on a public figure
Sensationalism has a significant effect on the thoughts of the audience towards a celebrity. In the case trial of Simpson, the media houses made the jurisdictions of a court a race issue since it raised questions such as, “Can a black person receive fair judgment?” Contrary to that, the problems posed by the media personalities regarding Oscar’s case was if the judicial systems of South Africa were capable of judging the case fairly because the athlete was a public figure who was one’s of South Africa’s gold prize medal winners in the sprint races (Westfall, & Hawes, 2014). In both scenarios, the media would publish stories without confirming the facts. As a result, this misled the public that was viewing the case procedures. Moreover, the media houses did not confirm if what they wrote over were the right and the correct court procedure.
The aim of the media personalities was to grasp a substantial number of viewers. According to Westfall, & Hawes, (2014), the practice of the media personalities appeared to disregard the credible nature of the media houses’ reports thus causing an embarrassment to the law passed the first amendment. The coverage of the trials of the two celebrity personnel was destruction to the legal system since it may affect the outcome of a trial. Besides that, the coverage affected the judges in that it would make them rule about the public’s opinion other than the provision of the required justice. Thus, this is against the laws governing the American court systems since the rule would be made and reached at through following the wrong channels. Therefore, sensationalism in the media houses leads to unprofessional journalism, as well as, it may cause a court to make an unlawful decision.
Pistorius case in the United Kingdom
The United Kingdom media station diverted media attention of the viewers hence including some extenuating factors that surrounded the trial. The media houses presented and broadcasted evidence regarding the murder trails that Pistorius was facing. Notably, the media personalities of the United Kingdom violated the contempt act of their state that prohibited scandalizing, trail prejudicing and the obscuring of the administration of justice. Instead, the media houses turned Pistorius trials into a scandalous trail since it obscured the application of justice since the stations claimed that the trails would be a sign of proof of the just nature of the South African courts. Therefore, media houses of the UK were putting pressure on the South African jury to rule against the evidence gathered in the court during that period. Most journalists in the country would tweet the daily trails and occurrences of the trail hence making it difficult to protect the privacy, as well as, the dignity of the personnel charged. Importantly, the media houses failed to recognize the effects their broadcasts would have on the trials and the career of the charged people. In most cases, sensationalism results in career suicide and embarrassment of individuals. Thus, the media houses violated the rights of Oscar denying him of his dignity and municipal emancipations as well.
Pistorius case in the world
The family of Oscar Pistorius criticized the media largely for its sensationalism in the murder case against Pistorius. Moreover, most family members expressed their disappointment through claims of anger emanating from the press reports that indicated that a cricket bat that was stained with blood was a vital piece of evidence in the killing of the girlfriend of the culprit (Commey, 2014). Such reports were spread in newspapers in most parts of the world such as China, India, South Africa and the United States of America. The effects of such acts were the destruction of the integrity of most media houses. Moreover, the publication of Oscar’s trials was a show of disrespect towards the gold-medal athlete. The family of the accused person claimed that the media was sensationalist since it was their job to ensure that the newspapers are sold. Besides that, the British newspapers did not escape the condemnations since it publicized a photo of Pistorius wife in a bikini leading to criticisms both inside and outside the country.
Effects of media reports on the public opinion
The sensational nature of the media towards the trials of Pistorius showed that the press technology was the world that was constructed by a mass of disjointed and contradictory information. Moreover, the flow of information through the various distinct groups was influenced by the mass media that edited and interpreted information with intentions of making some sense to the audience thus creating a particular perception (Findlay, 2014). Moreover, the media houses showed the authority of both the false and the truthful stories. As a result, the Oscar’s trials publications misled the public who were viewing the case procedures. Moreover, the media houses did not confirm if what they wrote over were the right and the correct court procedure. The aim of the media personalities was to grasp a substantial number of viewers. According to Commey, (2014), the practice of the media personalities disregarded the credibility of the media houses’ reports thus causing an embarrassment to the law passed the first amendment. The coverage of the trials of the two celebrity personnel was destruction to the legal system since it may affect the outcome of a trial.
Besides that, the coverage affected the judges in that it would make them rule about the public’s opinion other than the provision of the required justice. Thus, this is against the laws governing the American court systems since the rule would be made and reached at through following the wrong channels. Therefore, sensationalism in the media houses leads to unprofessional journalism, as well as, it may cause a court to make an unlawful decision. Importantly, privileged groups have an effect on the documentations made by the media houses. The different groups tend to intersect hence shaping the business with aims of shaping an open discussion. However, the outcome of such actions by the media personalities on the public view of Pistorius was ruined. Therefore, this shows that the media has a negative effect on the opinion of the person under trials that result from the sensational nature of media houses reports.
Effects of Sensationalism on the judicial system
In most cases, the media is regarded as a democracy pillar. Moreover, the media houses have wide-ranging roles in a community. The media plays a significant role in shaping the opinion of the public that may result in the changing of the overall viewpoints in which people perceive various events. Besides that, the media houses and personalities are effective in commanding a starting trend that brings the defendant to hook (Smolowe, Maclean, & Hawes, 2014). Importantly, the freedom of the media shows that the people have the freedom to their opinions. Therefore, it is crucial to emphasize on the fact that a healthy press is critical to the proper functioning of a democratic nation. In addition to that, standard setups allow an active indulgence of the people in the state affairs. Consequently, most media houses have the right to keep people informed on the matters revolving in society.
Most media personalities search for a topic of issue that is likely to attract a high response of the public. For this objective to be reached successfully, a clear and a truthful account of events are required. However, the right to freedom of the media personalities is limited by the fact that it should not result in the contempt of the court laws. For instance, in India, criminal cases faced by the famous people in the area have gone unpunished due to the influences by the media (Gans, 2014). In some cases, some murder reports may draw criticism resulting in the jury making the decisions for the opinions of the public. Media trials have been an issue that faces most celebrities in the world today. In most cases, reports have been submitted with claims that the media has presented verdicts of criminal proceedings involving a famous person without evidence from the court. Trials are a process that should be carried by the tribunal of arms of most states. The trials media is a process that is done in most courts since it is an interference in the delivery of justice. The media houses have reincarnated into a public court since it has started interfering with the trial as seen in the trials media of Oscar Pistorius and O.J Simpson. The effects of the act are the fact that it tends to overlook the gap between an accused person and a convict. In most media trials, the media conducts its investigation that may collide with the evidence that has been presented in the court halls. As a result, the media builds a public opinion and creates a case against a victim before the decision of progress made by a court of law. Therefore, this tends to prejudice the results of the accused in a court hall since it may lead the judges to the perceptions that the defendant is innocent.
The coverage affects the judges in that it would make them rule about the public’s opinion other than the provision of the required justice. Thus, this is against the laws governing the American court systems and those of the world since the rule would be made and reached at through following the wrong channels. Therefore, sensationalism in the media houses leads to unprofessional journalism, as well as, it may cause a court to make an unlawful decision.
Countries such as the United States of America, United Kingdom, and South Africa have high trail media cases whereby the media tends to influence the society. In the countries mentioned above, the media’s reaction in Pistorius’ case led to the fueling of the public’s interest in the case. Furthermore, Twitter was the first news source on the events that surrounded his arrest. Besides that, about 85 percent of all the trial proceedings and discussions in Pistorius’ murder case occurred on Twitter. The issue and the involvement of media were intense until the presiding magistrate of Pistorius’ murder case addressed the media coverage issue. The remarks of the judge were stimulated and catalyzed by the photographs that leaked in the sky news that showed the bloody bathroom at the scene of the crime. Therefore, the media houses turned Pistorius’ case into a trial media. Most leakages of the evidence information were unprecedented in the media news of South Africa. Besides that, most journalists that attend the court proceedings report errors since they report evidence that has not been released or present by the courtrooms. Such actions tend to influence the decisions made by the judges on the accused person. Moreover, it affects the career and the reputation of a person since it often results in prejudices and scandalization. Therefore, this shows trials media and sensationalism affects the way in which trials are conducted in a country. In the case of Pistorius, the reaction by the media influenced the public’s opinion concerning the athlete resulting in an increased allegations and evidence that had not been presented in the courtrooms. The media stations allegedly released and broadcasted blood stains of the bathroom in which the murder occurred. Moreover, different other photos leaked before fair presentation in the court of laws. Therefore, this paper has determined the effects of trail media on the way in which people view the crime offenders. Moreover, a comparison has been made between the trial media in Simpson and that of Oscar. The two cases are similar since the two people are athletes. The trials of the two individuals were publicized leading to a creation of a public opinion and view. Thus, media trials are an act that should be put to an end to prevent further victimization of people.
References
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Dan, N. (2013, June 4). Pistorius Case Delayed As Judge Slams 'Trial By Media'. Evening Standard . P. 11.
Findlay, S. (2014). A Trial Without End?. Maclean's , 127 (33/34), 44.
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