Fishburn Hedges

04.10.2011 | (2 comments)

I couldn’t help but watch. The human drama being played out in a small courtroom under the warm Umbrian sky was utterly riveting. A story that had gone on for over 4 years was coming to a conclusion. For a young American girl and her Italian ex-lover, their fate was being broadcast to the world.

Whilst many point to the OJ Simpson trial as a milestone in the relationship between law and the media, the Meredith Kercher case and the fascination with Amanda Knox reveals developments in the way media reports crime since the mid 1990s. The fact that the Knox family have reportedly spent nearly $1 million not only on lawyers, but also a PR consultant, reveals the extraordinary phenomenon this case has become.

Knox was being ripped apart by the media. With recognisable misogynistic undertones, ‘Foxy Knoxy’ was either the devil or an angel. Like with so many other high-profile female suspects, the media highlight their polarised character: the features of an innocent girl, the mind of evil. This media discourse was translated in the courtroom. The prosecutor in the court summed up by labelling Knox a ‘she-devil’, which in the medieval surroundings of Perugia was rather too close to comfort. The defence claimed she was more like the child cartoon Jessica Rabbit. Undoubtedly, the hyperactive gendered media narrative brought Amanda Knox into the limelight. Indeed, looking at the front pages today, it would be easy to forget the male accused, sitting in the same court-room, going through the same tortuous process. Therefore, it is understandable that the Knox family have strived to change perceptions of their daughter.

And, over the four years, the case against Amanda Knox has slowly disintegrated, mainly due to the failings of the Italian police. But it was striking how the media coverage last night, before the verdict was announced, seemed to focus entirely on the case for Knox’s innocence. For example, little was mentioned of Diya Lumumba, whose life has been blown apart by Knox, who implicated Lumumba, only to later retract her statement. After the verdict was announced, there was a lack of any analysis as to why the Italian crowds outside the courtroom were chanting ‘disgrace, disgrace’. The years spent by the Knox family, highlighting the mistakes made by the police when dealing with the suspect’s DNA, emphasising Knox’s lack of any record of violence and touring TV studios had, in the media at least, paid off.

Of course, it is impossible to say whether this had any effect on the jury’s verdict. From an unscientific poll on my Twitter feed, it had seemed to convince much of the public, the majority of which were willing Knox to be set free. The surreal split-screen on Sky News that showed the proceedings in court and the extended Knox family sitting in a hotel room in Seattle awaiting the verdict made it very difficult not to feel empathetic. It was the openness of the Knox media operation which made her case so attractive. To a certain extent, all viewers suddenly felt part of the appeal, on Knox’s side. It would have been very difficult for any Umbrian juror not to have felt some pressure from the media machine that had consumed all the details of the case.

Indeed, the media machine itself got into trouble. It soon became a competition about who was quickest out of the block to get the story about the verdict online. In their haste to make sure they were first onto the story, the Daily Mail had already prepared and then mistakenly posted a story about Knox’s appeal being rejected. Remarkably, this article had quotes which were never made. In the context of the three years Knox got for slander in Italy, this was a rather grave error.

However, the most tragic consequence of the Knox’s understandable PR attempt to portray their daughter’s innocence has been the lack of respect for Meredith Kercher – the true victim of this horrific crime. The fact the Kercher family felt they had to perform a press conference to counter-balance the fascination with Knox in an attempt to make sure their daughter was remembered and her killer brought to justice should act as a reminder - in every media storm there are people.

on 04.10.2011

Jake Richards :-
Ray,

I think you have misunderstood my point - or more likely, I have not explained myself properly!

I think the Knox's PR offensive has been completely understandable considering the media coverage. However, one unavoidable consequence of it has been a lack of acknowledgement and coverage of Meredith Kercher, and her family, which forced them to partake in a press conference.

I don't think there is any evidence to suggest the Knox family have shown a lack of respect to the family of Meredith Kercher.

Thanks for your comment though.

Jake

on 04.10.2011

Ray Scott :-
How exactly did the Knox family show a lack of respect towards Meredith Kercher?