HAS VARIABLES:
False
STUDENT ENTRY MODE:
Basic
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
CVIV.KARM.20.02.02 – Summarize how the plight of victims has been
rediscovered by elected officials, the media, and commercial enterprises.
DATE CREATED:
1/2/2019 7:56 AM
DATE MODIFIED:
1/2/2019 7:56 AM
was named? Provide examples.
Salient issues raise public awareness, and public officials have long used this approach to
address other social issues. Starting in the 1980s, people running for office realized
application of this approach might help their election or re-election if they applied it to
their “get tough on crime” stance. A known example of this is through the Brady Handgun
Violence Prevention Act, named after James Brady, President Reagan’s press secretary,
who was shot in the head during an attempt to assassinate the President. The law required
a background check on any person seeking to buy a firearm. Though the act of selling a
handgun to persons who were deemed dangerous had been illegal since 1968, this new law
was seen as being tougher on crime. Other victims, such as Jeanne Clery, Emmett Till,
Matthew Shepard, James Byrd, Jr., and Adam Walsh all suffered heinous crimes and had
legislation named after them. Thousands of laws have been enacted in the name of a
victim, but the response to this approach has been mixed. Some believe it is a great avenue
to bring attention to a serious crime and to mobilize the public around it. Others argue it is
another means for politicians to exploit the media for their own personal gain.
Other Groups Propel the Rediscovery Process Forward
CVIV.KARM.20.02.02 – Summarize how the plight of victims has been
rediscovered by elected officials, the media, and commercial enterprises.
49. Outline and discuss the role of the news media concerning the victim’s plight. Provide both negative and positive
aspects.
The role of the media regarding victims can have mixed outcomes. The harm done to the
victims and their families has been brought to the public’s attention after years of neglect
by the media. In addition, how the criminal justice process treats victims and how the case
was resolved have been important observations made available to the public via the media.
However, victims have complained about the media sensationalizing the crime to increase
viewership. Victim complaints have also centered around the media intrusion into their
privacy. Media coverage tends to be drawn toward crimes serving as “attention grabbers”
as opposed to the more common or harmful crimes. Crimes wherein a stranger was the
offender or crimes that were particularly violent receive publicity, whereas these types of
crimes are least likely to happen to members of society.
Other Groups Propel the Rediscovery Process Forward