When a young person is killed why does the media make a big deal of their academic prospects etc?

Question

I'm just watching crimewatch and about the killers of Adam Regis, the presenters talk about what a nice person he was and about how good he was academically.... maybe it's just because it is really hard to find words about this kind of things, and if I was presenting... well I'd just be standing there crying. But what does their academic abilities have to do with someone's death? and even if they weren't a nice person what 15 yr old deserves to be stabbed.

Sorry, I just feel really sad.

Answer 1

To make you think that person was innocent, and put you on his/her side. To make you angry about the killer, or whatever killed them, like a car accident, a storm, whatever. To make the world think they have lost something great, although, in most cases I would say they weren't. It is also to build humanity in a person, and manipulate your thinking. After hearing this kind of news, are you open-minded when they say and next in the news, Mr. Bush cuts taxes again!

Answer 2

It's just drama of course. If you focus on things like that it only makes it all the more traumatic. It's a device used in TV and movies too. Even the Simpsons used it with a McBain episode.

The point is that you build up a concept of future - some guy putting his all into something so that he can be something great in the future. Anything about a future that can't happen now makes it all the more dramatic. The highschool girl with straight A's, the best boyfriend, who just got engaged.

Academic credentials are part of the story. It's supposed to make you think of what a life they could have had.

Answer 3

When they bring up what type of person someone was and their academic prospects, more or less they're just trying to say what kind of person they were, how much of his life he had to offer, all the places he/she would of went.Like saying they didn't deserve to die and you're right, Adam didn't and neither does any 15 yr old.It is always sad when someone young passes away b/c they had so much to offer and had a whole world in their hands. It really makes you think about our own lives, that we should count our blessings and live our dreams, fulfilling all we can in life.That is what pops in my head when they talk about how good someone was and their plans for living their lives to the fullest.

Answer 4

I think it's to bring home to people the life that the person has missed out on, all the things they'll never get to do. On crimewatch they're persuading people to get in contact to bring the killer to justice. If you get to people hearts and make them feel guilty perhaps they will be more likely to inform the police even though they are scared of doing so

Answer 5

Your right, no child deserves to be stabbed, it is worse than sad. I think that the reason they point out academic standings is to show how even a potentially contributing member of society can be killed and how no one is completely safe. Even people doing what their "suppose" to be doing are killed.

Answer 6

We do not expect to bury our young especially under tragic circumstances such as murder.
If the young victims were involved in crime some may believe
That those that live by the sword die by it. Not that I would agree with that. I suppose it just highlights the wasted future of the victim and what society and their families have lost.

Answer 7

It has nothing to do with their death, but the loss of a life. People tell of the promise someone had to help cope with the loss of what was and what could be.

Answer 8

Because a young person had their future robbed from them, it's especially tragic compared to someone who had time to accomplish more in life.

Answer 9

Sensationalism.

Answer 10

When a young person dies it is very sad since they had their whole life ahead of them.