The media shapes our reality; they decide how to spin a story, what information they’re going to put in a story, and how we should feel after hearing the story. And in the PSU scandal this is certainly the case. The way I thought ESPN shaped the scandal was at first, sympathy for Joe Paterno, nobody knew if he was going to continue to coach, he made a statement saying he was going to retire at the end of the season, but that was short-lived. A lot of the focus was off Sandusky and McQueary the people who were involved with the case and put the focus on Paterno and how Penn State just gave him a phone call to fire him. Then it showed students reaction to the firing. Not till I came to class did I actually get the real story of what happened. I believe this is due to the power of intersection and the media, ESPN was probably being told by their producers not to give the whole story until all the details of the story were given. If I were to apply any sociological framework to this case it would probably have to be the social standpoint theory. Sandusky, Paterno, McQueary and the AD that Paterno told were all upper class white males. The children that Sandusky was molesting were lower class, less privileged children. The standpoint theory looks at hierarchies and power, and even if these kids who told their parents, they’re at the bottom of the totem pole in America and these football coaches at Pennsylvania are at the top and the police and media outlets sweep it under the table. I personally think this is a travesty, how some people can pray on the innocence of these young boys. I went to sports camps when I was younger and I think back to how naïve I was to reality, although I never had a coach do or say anything inappropriate, at the same time I wouldn’t know the difference, or boundaries and I think it’s sad when people of authority take advantage of the innocence of youth.
Chris Barnett
Kin 338I – Sec 06
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