Sunday, November 2, 2008

Crocodile Killer Captured

A month ago, an endangered crocodile was mutilated and murdered on the campus of the University of Miami. In the days after this horrific event, the local south Florida media couldn't stop covering what had happened.

A few days ago, the crocodile killer was captured. As it turns out, a 16-year old boy was responsible for killing the endangered animal. However, there has been barely any local coverage regarding the boy's arrest. I've asked myself why that could be. Could it be because the boy is a minor? I'm thinking that's probably why.

That raises the issue of just how much the media should disclose information regarding this kind of crime (a felony). I know a minor's privacy should be respected, but for the benefit of the community, I think people should know who this criminal is. It would make everyone feel safer if they knew who this individual was so they could stay away from him.

3 comments:

Online campus comeback said...

Media folks tend to have short attention spans. News of the boy's arrest was buried in the digest section of the local papers. But you’re right, with the alleged culprit being a minor, there’s not a lot of releasable info on the crime.

Suzanne Levinson said...

I bet there is more to this than meets the eye. Often the media DO report on minors (the boys who beat the homeless men, as one example). I wonder if the boys were especially cooperative or remorseful, or if the reporter has a teenaged son, or what.

Suzanne Levinson said...

P.S. Where are links to the two (or more?) articles?