Distance Learning Assignment

Media has the power to shape any kind of news, whether it be a scandal, a celebrity wedding, or diet fads. However, with scandals, media is a very powerful source, as we are seeing with the Penn State scandal. It has allowed millions of people to access information, interviews, blogs, and videos on anything and everything associated with the Penn State scandal. Some sources of information, especially blogs or people opinions on twitter and facebook, open up many new ideas and insights about the scandal everyday. Media helps it be an ongoing discussion and investigation that the whole world can follow. The media definately intersects this issue because any information leaked my someone powerful, or possibly an unknown victim, carries the possibility to be shown to the public and change the story even more. I think that Sandusky went so long without being charged or without the authorities finding out because the few people who did know were trying to protect thier identities, their positions at Penn State, and the identity of Penn State as a whole. It is understandable that the administration at Penn State didnt want their school to be affiliated with this kind of scandal, but the moral thing to do would have been to speak up about it to protect the lives of future victims. Now things are just that much worse because no one spoke up; there were much more victims, multiple people lost their jobs because they covered it up, and the whole school has to suffer an even worse scandal than if someone had just spoken up early on. My personal reaction to this is that i think Joe Paterno should have spoken up in the first place when he had the opportunity to. Now he has lost his job, lost respect of people around America, and now his football team must suffer because of his bad decisions. Being an athlete, I can understand how they must feel losing a great coach at this time in the season, especially with the reason behind it. Also, my reaction is that Sandusky is a horrible man for doing this to so many young children. I dont see how anyone could do something like what he did, then cover it up and do it 40 more times. He has damaged so many lives. Overall I feel that if someone who found out when it was first happening spoke up about it, it wouldnt be such a horrible scandal as it is right now. Plus, part of my family comes from Pittsburgh, so I am a huge fan. And hearing that such a scandal like this comes from even the state of Pennsylvania, is very dissappointing.

Danielle Coffman KIN 338i Sec.01