On the morning of June 5, 2002, 14-year-old Elizabeth Smart was abducted from her bedroom in Salt Lake City, Utah. Elizabeth’s parents, Ed and Lois, worked with local and national media the next morning to increase visibility of the case; public interest in the kidnapping of the teenager grew over night and the country was on the look out. Nine months after the abduction Elizabeth’s younger sister, who had witnessed the kidnapping, unbeknownst to the kidnapper, remembered that the abductor’s voice sounded reminiscent of someone who worked for the family months before the kidnapping. That detail ultimately led to Elizabeth’s rescue, which was a media story nationwide.
Elizabeth’s suspected kidnappers, Brain David Mitchell and Wanda Ilene Barzee, …show more content…
The values these media outlets have are strictly a professional one based on the idea that the juiciest story will lead and in the case of Elizabeth’s kidnapping this gave the media a facet to higher ratings. The Smart case is extraordinary because Elizabeth’s parents gave consent to the media to release details about Elizabeth and even permission to interview her after her return. Seeking the truth is an important value to uphold in journalism; however, moral values need to be held on a higher pedestal to protect victim’s …show more content…
News media should publish names of victims, which as a way to find victims like Elizabeth and decrease the stigma of rape. However, the advancement of social change should not be weighed on the backs of the unwilling and traumatized victims of assault. The healing process of several victims are to stand up and declare their strength; to go through the painful memories themselves. For Elizabeth, she never had a chance to face that part of the grieving process for it was imposed upon her. Fortunately, she has taken her situation with grace after her return, but journalist need to value the sanctity of a child’s trauma no matter if the parents of the victim give consent over the pursuit of higher
Elizabeth’s suspected kidnappers, Brain David Mitchell and Wanda Ilene Barzee, …show more content…
The values these media outlets have are strictly a professional one based on the idea that the juiciest story will lead and in the case of Elizabeth’s kidnapping this gave the media a facet to higher ratings. The Smart case is extraordinary because Elizabeth’s parents gave consent to the media to release details about Elizabeth and even permission to interview her after her return. Seeking the truth is an important value to uphold in journalism; however, moral values need to be held on a higher pedestal to protect victim’s …show more content…
News media should publish names of victims, which as a way to find victims like Elizabeth and decrease the stigma of rape. However, the advancement of social change should not be weighed on the backs of the unwilling and traumatized victims of assault. The healing process of several victims are to stand up and declare their strength; to go through the painful memories themselves. For Elizabeth, she never had a chance to face that part of the grieving process for it was imposed upon her. Fortunately, she has taken her situation with grace after her return, but journalist need to value the sanctity of a child’s trauma no matter if the parents of the victim give consent over the pursuit of higher