Photo: Shavar Ross
Newspapers want gritty headlines, television evening news wants their first story to be about an unbelievable crime, and radio news wants a witness to the crime to say something on air. All forms of media look for the sensational to gain a larger audience. If you are charged with a sensational crime, the media will inevitably:
- Go to your home to see if anyone living there will make a statement.
- Talk to your neighbors about what kind of person you are or ask your neighbors what they think about your alleged crime.
- Find your family and try to get them to make a statement.
- Try to talk to you if you’ve posted bail and are released from jail
The best thing you and your family can do is not talk to the media. They will not portray you as a sympathetic person. Rather, the media will focus on the crime you allegedly committed, talk to the victim or witnesses, and then include one sentence from someone who believes you are innocent. The media will not portray you accurately.
If you want the media to report on your side of the story, you should hire an attorney that has experience dealing with the media. Your attorney can speak on your behalf, read a statement on your behalf, and be your advocate. This is the best way to deal with the media if you are charged with a crime.
