John And Patsy Analysis

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The portrayal of a certain case or crime by the media heavily influences public opinion on the supposed innocence or guilt of the accused. Two important cases that have been unethically pit on ‘trial’ by the media are the controversial death of Azaria Chamberlain, and the unsolved murder of JonBenét Ramsey. In both cases, immediate family members, Lindy Chamberlain and John, Patsy, and Burke respectively, have been condemned by the media as the perpetrators through techniques in newspaper and film.

Newspaper headlines are an instrumental tool of the media that regularly influences public opinion. Since newspapers are displayed on the street, everyday people walking past read them, and form their own opinion based on what they read. Headlines
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In these scenes, the people playing the parents are shadowed in dark lighting, the camera is half-blurred, tilted, tinged green, and cuts between scenes jarringly. These techniques cause the parents to be cast in a suspicious light along with suspense and mystery, and makes the whole scene seem disjointed. This causes the audience to view the parents with suspicion and distrust, especially since some of the scenes show John and Patsy acting out scenes that go against their account. This documentary as a whole impacts negatively on the lives of John and Burke Ramsey, as the public watches this documentary and may agree with the verdict, whether it be true or not.

As seen by the example of the Lindy Chamberlain and JonBenét cases, the techniques used by the media can either turn the public for or against a person, for monetary gain or scepticism of the culprit based on misleading facts. Using newspapers, documentaries, and news broadcasts, the media can easily change the way the public view a person, for the better or worse. It sensationalises information at the expense of those exploited so that people would be more likely to buy