Journal Entry 2

Frankie Cudney

English 1000

Journal Entry 2

            The article I researched, How the Media is Killing the Death Penalty, was very helpful to my topic and included a lot of really good information regarding the subject for my paper. What they discussed in the article was how the public’s views on the death penalty have shifted. It used to be that the majority of America favored the death penalty because it meant that would stop killers from killing again. The picture the media used to paint on the death penalty was that it allowed closure to the families of the deceased and eliminated potential future killings. However, over time the ideas put out and viewed by the public have shifted. The idea now is that the death penalty is a faulty system because wrongful people are accused and possibly murdered because of mistrials. The article holds a lot of information on the publics changing views regarding the death penalty over the years and was very helpful for my research.

            The article I researched earlier has a lot in common with the article I chose for the second journal entry. They both deal with the publics’ opinions on the death penalty and how these ideas have changed over time. A big difference I noticed between the two was that the first article I read talked a lot about statistics and was very broad. The second article I choose was a more recent article that went in depth as to why the public thinks the way it does and explained more of the reasoning for people opinions to shift over time.

            My topic I am researching is how the media affects the death penalty, regarding how the public feels towards it and any potential changes in the court trials because of how people feel. In this article I read, it helped me to see how over time the death penalty has gained more of a negative reputation. One thing the author mentions that I hadn’t even thought of was the fact that the death penalty is a way of bringing closure to the victims family. This can be a positive thing that comes out of the death sentence. Another thing the article pointed out was the fact that each state has their own rules regarding the death penalty and to many this isn’t fair. Some states have banned the death penalty as a form of punishment and many feel it should be a federal decision on whether or not it is allowed to be used. The information I gathered from this article will really help me with my research as I continue on to finding way the public influences the death penalty.

            As I continue on with my research I now know what direction I plan to head when it comes to finding information on my topic. I need to look for articles that deal specifically with the publics influence on the death penalty and how the media has helped to shape any trials that have happened. I am not reconsidering the reasons for the death penalty to not be as popular of a form of punishment. I thought the reasons were because people believed it to be unethical but after reading these last two articles, I am under the impression the main concern is the fact that the right person isn’t always convicted. My next step will to read and look into more reasons and statistics as to why the death penalty isn’t as supported as before but why 70% of America still thinks it is an okay method to use as a form of punishment.