Casey Anthony Trial

[Schneed10]

Originally Posted by mredskins

I saw this post on another site and it seemed to kind of make sense.

I have avoided pretty much 100% of this case, but what you just mentioned has been somewhat fascinating to me as well. I think this case just kind of *happened* to be the perfect storm of hooks that draw people into becoming emotionally attached to a story.

Like that little baby that fell in the well 20 or so years ago.

Sometimes, the elements are just there and with the right fanning of flames by the media - it just catches on like wildfire :shrug:

Recognizing that you're quoting someone else and may not be equipped to answer this, but what exactly are the elements that make people care about this case more than others? I just can't see it, myself.

[GMScud]

Originally Posted by Schneed10

Recognizing that you're quoting someone else and may not be equipped to answer this, but what exactly are the elements that make people care about this case more than others? I just can't see it, myself.

Agreed, and I think the fascination with this case is a gigantic waste of time and media resources.

I don't know the facts of the case other than a child was killed and Anthony was accused, so I really can't have an opinion on the not guilty verdict.

The coverage of it all baffles me however.

[mredskins]

Originally Posted by Schneed10

Recognizing that you're quoting someone else and may not be equipped to answer this, but what exactly are the elements that make people care about this case more than others? I just can't see it, myself.

I can speak for myself as far as why I was drawn in. I think I got drawn in becasue I have a 3 year old now it is impossible for me to think someone could do this to a child.

Now by drawn in I have watched it out of the corner of my eye. there are folks or should I say moms in my office that have hung on every word of it. I think they are drawn for the same reason I was but more so because they are moms.

I say the same thing about missing children, if you went by the media you think just a handful of kids are taken each year but then you go to the post office and there are a ton of missing kid photo's, why are some blasted on the big screen while others are not even mentioned.

I think in order for it to be wide spread the victims and or the criminals need to be close to your typical American family. The closer they are too the typical American family the more drawn in folks become becasue it becomes a "this could easily happen to me " thing.

As far as OJ he is celebrate so that was easily the draw.

[FRPLG]

Originally Posted by Schneed10

Recognizing that you're quoting someone else and may not be equipped to answer this, but what exactly are the elements that make people care about this case more than others? I just can't see it, myself.

This has always fascinated me.

One thing I heard a while back is this: you almost never hear about stories like this that center around anything but young white females.

[Chico23231]

Originally Posted by Schneed10

Recognizing that you're quoting someone else and may not be equipped to answer this, but what exactly are the elements that make people care about this case more than others? I just can't see it, myself.

Several moving parts to this answer...first the story is actually 3 parts...missing child, childs death and mother's arrest, and the trial. It plays like a book, each section with its perfect creshendo of drama. Second are the players...the innocence of a beautiful child, the all-american-suburbean girl-next-door, and the disfunctional family. All these players can be easily related to most americans. Lastly, our tabloid, explotive culture which is media driven in ratings and advertsing. Information and opinion is presented 24/7/365 in multi access vehicles...tv, internet, phone, radio blah blah blah.

I havent followed the story, but good lord I cant avoid it either.

[mredskins]

Originally Posted by Chico23231

Several moving parts to this answer...first the story is actually 3 parts...missing child, childs death and mother's arrest, and the trial. It plays like a book, each section with its perfect creshendo of drama. Second are the players...the innocence of a beautiful child, the all-american-suburbean girl-next-door, and the disfunctional family. All these players can be easily related to most americans. Lastly, our tabloid, explotive culture which is media driven in ratings and advertsing. Information and opinion is presented 24/7/365 in multi access vehicles...tv, internet, phone, radio blah blah blah.

I havent followed the story, but good lord I cant avoid it either.

Well said.

[Schneed10]

Originally Posted by Chico23231

Several moving parts to this answer...first the story is actually 3 parts...missing child, childs death and mother's arrest, and the trial. It plays like a book, each section with its perfect creshendo of drama. Second are the players...the innocence of a beautiful child, the all-american-suburbean girl-next-door, and the disfunctional family. All these players can be easily related to most americans. Lastly, our tabloid, explotive culture which is media driven in ratings and advertsing. Information and opinion is presented 24/7/365 in multi access vehicles...tv, internet, phone, radio blah blah blah.

I havent followed the story, but good lord I cant avoid it either.

Good answer, that makes some sense. I still don't get it, but I guess the sequential revealing of parts of the information would hook some folks like a Lifetime movie.

On the media point though, do you think the media can actually influence what people are interested in? Or do you think people dictate what the media shows? I think it's the latter. If Nancy Grace is on at the mechanic's while I'm getting my car fixed, even if I'm exposed to her I don't find myself the least bit interested in what she's saying. All I'm doing is looking around the room with pleading eyes begging for the channel to be changed to Sports Center.

Clearly there are people that are interested in the Casey Anthony story, that's why the media covers it. I guess it's like a real life whodunit to some people.

I could just never credit a blowhard like Nancy Grace with ever making a single soul care about something.

[NC_Skins]

Originally Posted by Chico23231

Several moving parts to this answer...first the story is actually 3 parts...missing child, childs death and mother's arrest, and the trial. It plays like a book, each section with its perfect creshendo of drama. Second are the players...the innocence of a beautiful child, the all-american-suburbean girl-next-door, and the disfunctional family. All these players can be easily related to most americans. Lastly, our tabloid, explotive culture which is media driven in ratings and advertsing. Information and opinion is presented 24/7/365 in multi access vehicles...tv, internet, phone, radio blah blah blah.

I havent followed the story, but good lord I cant avoid it either.

/thread

[firstdown]

My friends lazy ass wife sat on her ass for the past month watching this trial. Trials are very slow and boring unless you have skin in the game. I know how she could sit on her ass for that long I don't get how she could watch the trial. She is the poster child of why American's are over weight.

[12thMan]

I think you had a couple of different elements that made this case unique. First of all, Caylee Anthony was reported missing 31 days after she was actually missing. So not only do you have a missing person's case, in this case a toddler, but now an apparent cover up as well.

Secondly, a major news network, HLN which is a spinoff of CNN, singlehanded embraced and publicized this case for nearly three years. Nancy Grace has been beating this Casey Anthony is guilty drum for a few years and wouldn't let it go. So once the trial started, the other media outlets had to join the ratings rat race, hence the obsession.

But allow me to play the race card for a second (I know I'm going to get some blow back and disagreement on this, but oh well). Had Caylee Anthony been Tyrone Jamaal Anthony or Miguel Felipe Anthony, this shit would have never been mentioned in the local media much less become a national obsession. While I'm not directly accusing the media of blatant racism, they do pick and choose which stories they deem important and worthy of coverage and airtime and more often than not, these missing person cases tend to favor caucasions.

[JoeRedskin]

Originally Posted by 12thMan

I think you had a couple of different elements that made this case unique. First of all, Caylee Anthony was reported missing 31 days after she was actually missing. So not only do you have a missing person's case, in this case a toddler, but now an apparent cover up as well.

Secondly, a major news network, HLN which is a spinoff of CNN, singlehanded embraced and publicized this case for nearly three years. Nancy Grace has been beating this Casey Anthony is guilty drum for a few years and wouldn't let it go. So once the trial started, the other media outlets had to join the ratings rat race, hence the obsession.

But allow me to play the race card for a second (I know I'm going to get some blow back and disagreement on this, but oh well). Had Caylee Anthony been Tyrone Jamaal Anthony or Miguel Felipe Anthony, this shit would have never been mentioned in the local media much less become a national obsession. While I'm not directly accusing the media of blatant racism, they do pick and choose which stories they deem important and worthy of coverage and airtime and more often than not, these missing person cases tend to favor caucasions.

I don't think you going to get much disagreement. Stories about young white middle class women disappearing, killing their kids or getting sexually abused by the family all get bigger play than if the story was about someone poor, male and/or of color.

As Schneed said, things like this happen all the time. Sad but true. In Baltimore alone, I can recall two or three cases of african american women being accused of killing their young child in the last year or so. In the media, that's one headline (maybe two) then moving on.

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by JoeRedskin

I don't think you going to get much disagreement. Stories about young white middle class women disappearing, killing their kids or getting sexually abused by the family all get bigger play than if the story was about someone poor, male and/or of color.

As Schneed said, things like this happen all the time. Sad but true. In Baltimore alone, I can recall two or three cases of african american women being accused of killing their young child in the last year or so. In the media, that's one headline (maybe two) then moving on.

There are only so many stories that can be covered. Either you cover some, or you don't cover any. You can't cover them all. Middle class women in their mid 30s to mid 50s is a key demographic for local news and HLN. HLN's ratings have been through the roof with this trial. And it's a fortuitous coincidence that their rebranding in 2008 coincided with the first months of this story.

But as to the white vs. black question, I recall from my local news days participating in surveys focus groups to get a sense of what people like and didn't like and what they did and did not want to see in their local news coverage. One thing that had really stood out to me was the significantly high share of African Americans who did not want these stories covered when it came to their own race. Not in this way. The general response was "We know there are enough troubles in our community, you don't need to sensationalize it. If someone is missing or has been killed, tell the story only as far as it will help find the person or solve the case, or there's no need for us to watch your station." Still, some of our biggest stories during that period had to do with missing people (of multiple races)

Now I'm not saying that's why "white stories" are more extensively covered. I think it's simply a matter of the people these networks are primarily targeting tend to be riveted by these types of stories. I just thought it was interesting.

As for Ms. Anthony, if she's not guilty then who is she covering for? I mean from the start she was lying (with the whole fake nanny deal), so she must have known something?

[FRPLG]

Originally Posted by SmootSmack

There are only so many stories that can be covered. Either you cover some, or you don't cover any. You can't cover them all. Middle class women in their mid 30s to mid 50s is a key demographic for local news and HLN. HLN's ratings have been through the roof with this trial. And it's a fortuitous coincidence that their rebranding in 2008 coincided with the first months of this story.

But as to the white vs. black question, I recall from my local news days participating in surveys focus groups to get a sense of what people like and didn't like and what they did and did not want to see in their local news coverage. One thing that had really stood out to me was the significantly high share of African Americans who did not want these stories covered when it came to their own race. Not in this way. The general response was "We know there are enough troubles in our community, you don't need to sensationalize it. If someone is missing or has been killed, tell the story only as far as it will help find the person or solve the case, or there's no need for us to watch your station." Still, some of our biggest stories during that period had to do with missing people (of multiple races)

Now I'm not saying that's why "white stories" are more extensively covered. I think it's simply a matter of the people these networks are primarily targeting tend to be riveted by these types of stories. I just thought it was interesting.

As for Ms. Anthony, if she's not guilty then who is she covering for? I mean from the start she was lying (with the whole fake nanny deal), so she must have known something?

That's an interesting perspective. No pun intended but the world and decisions are never black and white. I think what many perceive as racism in today's world is more about making business decisions.

[Schneed10]

Originally Posted by FRPLG

That's an interesting perspective. No pun intended but the world and decisions are never black and white. I think what many perceive as racism in today's world is more about making business decisions.

Agree wholeheartedly. The media just appeals to the masses.

I just think the masses are morons.

[FRPLG]

Originally Posted by 12thMan

I think you had a couple of different elements that made this case unique. First of all, Caylee Anthony was reported missing 31 days after she was actually missing. So not only do you have a missing person's case, in this case a toddler, but now an apparent cover up as well.

Secondly, a major news network, HLN which is a spinoff of CNN, singlehanded embraced and publicized this case for nearly three years. Nancy Grace has been beating this Casey Anthony is guilty drum for a few years and wouldn't let it go. So once the trial started, the other media outlets had to join the ratings rat race, hence the obsession.

But allow me to play the race card for a second (I know I'm going to get some blow back and disagreement on this, but oh well). Had Caylee Anthony been Tyrone Jamaal Anthony or Miguel Felipe Anthony, this shit would have never been mentioned in the local media much less become a national obsession. While I'm not directly accusing the media of blatant racism, they do pick and choose which stories they deem important and worthy of coverage and airtime and more often than not, these missing person cases tend to favor caucasions.

Yeah it is hard to ignore the fact that the only murder/kidnap/missing persons cases that get national attention like this are either truly noteworthy like a mom killing her five kids or cases involving young dead white girls (young being up through age 18). Every now and then a older white female gets attention but only if she was pregnant or pretty. 12th is 100% right.