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Answer & Explanation:Application: Perceptions of Crime and the Victim in the
Media
John and Patsy Ramsey lived for years
with a cloud of suspicion hanging over their heads, fueled largely by the
media. Their six-year-old daughter JonBenet was found murdered at home in 1996,
having been strangled. While the Ramseys’ suffered the loss of their child, the
murder investigation focused on the family—John, Patsy, and their son Burke—who
were the primary suspects. The media repeatedly cast doubt on the Ramseys’
claims of innocence (Montaldo, 2011). 
The sensational portrayal of
real-world criminal cases in the media can have a negative impact on victims or
their families at a time when they are already vulnerable. Social scientists
refer to this as “secondary victimization” (National Center for Victims of
Crime, 2004). Imagine the effect on a victim when the crime becomes the subject
of a popular talk show

and is debated openly in the media for years while the
courts sort things out. If the media blames a victim or her family, can they
ever return to normal or be exonerated of the implied fault?
In the Ramsey case, the Boulder
District Attorney Mary Lacy wrote a public letter of apology to the Ramsey
family two years after Patsy’s death. In the letter, Lacy acknowledged that DNA
testing had proven that an unidentified male killed JonBenet. This letter came
too late for Patsy. The media frenzy after JonBenet’s death destroyed her
reputation, and she lived the rest of her life as the subject of public
scrutiny and suspicion (Celizic, 2008).
For this Assignment, review the case
in this week’s Interactive Community. Consider why the crime received media
attention and how the media portrayed the victim. Finally, think of ways the
negative impacts from media coverage could be reduced.
The Assignment (2–3 pages):