
Stone magazine, a picture of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev that appeared too glamorous. I agree with the constitutional right of freedom of speech and freedom of the press. Therefore, Rolling Stone can publish whatever they want. I also believe that people must face the consequences for what they write or say. Rolling Stone ticked off many people. I am sure that now they wish they had used
pictures of the victims instead (http://clicktotweet.com/f9zmc). I agree with those distributors who refused to sell that issue of the Rolling
Stone. People need to consider how they might offend people and whether it is worth doing so. Freedom of speech does not mean freedom from the consequences of speech (http://clicktotweet.com/nq02A).
The media and press often forget that they sometimes do more than report the news; often they create the news. A case in point is all the protests and demonstrations over the Zimmerman trial verdict. I think the media had a lot to do with causing the protests. The media gave in depth coverage to the trial – way beyond what the public needed to see. I think the trial received more
airtime than the Boston bombing. Of course, Tsarnaev has not gone to trial yet, so that remains to be seen. I believe that the media created the public opinions that are causing the controversy. The media tried Zimmerman with consultants and “experts” giving their opinion on his guilt or innocence. The public reached a verdict faster than the jury did. Then it turned out that the jury ruled against the public opinion.
Perhaps, we should do away with the current jury system and just try people in the court of public opinion. It could not be any worse that it is now. Another option is to ban the press from the courtroom or not allow the media to render opinion on verdicts.