Journal Entry 4

Frankie Cudney

English 1000

Journal Entry 4

“The death penalty and how the media has affect on it”

            This book I read through talked a lot about how the ideas around capitol punishment have shifted over the years. The author argues that it used to be that people would hear on the news all about crimes committed and more recently it seems the focus is on the sentenced punishment rather than the crime itself. It also talks about the actual process of someone on death row and how the day they are executed plays out. In the first chapter of the book, the author takes us through a day in the life of a convict on death row. At the end of the chapter, he says this act has happened over 1,000 times in over 37 states and goes unnoticed and unpublished 90% of the time to the public. In the second chapter it talks specifically about the media and its role in how w view the death penalty.

            This source responds to the other sources I have researched because they all have had in common the fact that they talk about the media in regards to the death penalty. This source is a book so it goes more in depth on the topic and talks about more specific details when it comes to how the media plays a huge role in how people view capitol punishment and how the death penalty is used and thought of in our country.

            The author from this source pointed out some facts that I had never thought of before. He talked about actual convicted fellons put on death row. These cases, unless dealing with famous or well known people, go unknown and unheard of. Family or friends who are affected by a specific case might spread the word around but it doesn’t go very far. The media chooses what cases to report about and inform the public about. America’s view on the death penalty is completely shaped by social networking and how they want us to view capitol punishment. If news reporters believe the death penalty is wrong and don’t want people to support it, they will report about all of the mistrials regarding death row and how there are hundreds of people wrongfully accused and sentenced to death. However, if a reporter agrees with the death penalty, they will report on severe serial killer cases trying to get the publics sympathy on why the death penalty is needed. For me, the author of the book pointed out some really good and accurate facts regarding capitol punishment and I now see how the media completely controls how we think about this subject.

            Now that I have read some chapters in this book and have come to a realization on the media controlling thoughts on this topic, I want to look into just how many cases go unnoticed and unpublished yearly. I want to also study the cases of execution that are publicized and why those crimes seem to be important to reporters to put certain trials in the news and not others. I want to look into this because I want to try and get an idea on why the public’s view on the death penalty is the way it is and why it has changed so drastically over the past couple of years.