Monday, July 24, 2006
Media spotlight dims on some killings
By Jennifer Emily
The Dallas Morning News
Published: 7/20/06
Excerpt:
Nothing in Sarah Anne Walker's spontaneous and vivacious life could compare to the
attention she's attracted in death.
She was an
attractive, blond real estate professional with a Jaguar who wanted to
marry a millionaire. CNN, Fox News Channel, MSNBC, Greta Van Susteren
and Geraldo Rivera sought out the case of the 40-year-old divorced
mother of two, slain in the model home of an upscale Collin County
neighborhood.
But few know about Elizabeth Ann Avery, who
died the same day as Ms. Walker, July 8. Ms. Avery, also a mother of
two, was shot as she fried catfish in her Dallas kitchen. And many
don't know of Hai Ping Duan, a woman found dead in the trunk of her car
June 9 in Plano.
Media experts say there's no formula for
determining why one woman's death splashes across newspapers and
newscasts around the country and another's does not. But they say
readers and viewers respond when they relate to the lives of those
struck by tragedy. ...
...Although media experts say national news organizations are drawn to pretty blondes
like Ms. Walker, other factors may actually determine why her death
attracted such attention. It is not as simple as Ms. Walker being
white, Ms. Avery black and Ms. Duan Asian, they say. Another woman not
mentioned by the national media is Terea Lewis, who was found dead in a
Garland creek this month and had a criminal record. ...
...Race,
however, is a part of how news agencies choose stories, even if it is
not purposeful, said Kelly McBride, an ethics group leader at the
Poynter Institute, a media studies organization. "A local
crime story tends to become national when it fits into an overarching
narrative, and the most popular narrative is the damsel in distress.
Part of the definition of damsel in distress is white and blonde," Ms.
McBride said. "News execs don't sit around asking 'Is she white? Is she
blonde?' " ...
...Ms. McBride
of the Poynter Institute said it's impossible to hold national news
shows accountable for their coverage.
"I don't know that
you can hold national newsrooms accountable," she said. "But the
national media is not accountable to one community like you are in
Dallas."
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