Week 9 Entry: THE EFFECT OF SOCIAL MEDIA

"Social media could impact jury trial of Jill Meagher's alleged killer Adrian Ernest Bayley"

 Following the removal of a Facebook site in support of Jill Meagher by the Victorian Police, Victorian Premier, Ted Baillieu, has proposed potential changes to laws regarding the use of social media in an attempt to combat the influence these outlets may have upon jury’s. The alleged murder and rape following Maegher’s abduction whilst walking home from a nearby bar in Brunswick, has caused a huge uproar in the Social Media universe, with over “120,000 people liking one Facebook page dedicated to Ms Meagher.” While Meagher’s husband has thanked the public for their support, he and the Police have asked social media users, “exercise caution in light of court proceedings which have started against Adria Erest Bayley” (charged with the rape and murder of Meagher).

Original article: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/social-media-could-impact-jury-trial-of-jill-meaghers-alleged-killer-adrian-ernest-bayley/story-e6frg6n6-1226485743514

Media Mayhem says:

Murder and alleged rape victim,
Jill Maegher

Social media is an epidemic. According to Anson Online, Facebook has over 845 million active users and Twitter over 127 million active users. Social media allows friends and family to stay in touch at a click of a button, photos and opinions to be shared and creativity to be expressed. However, social media is not without its downfalls. Following the recent shocking murder and alleged rape of Jill Meagher, both Meagher’s husband and the Victorian Police have asked that users exert caution as the overwhelming support may have an impact upon the jury’s decision. This idea aroused a thought provoking question for me, is social media so powerful that it has the potential to overrule law itself? While social media grants people with a voice, is that voice becoming too loud? This situation is unfortunately not individual, this powerful effect social media is having is being seen everywhere. TV celebrity Charlotte Dawson is a perfect example of this, following her hospitalisation in late August after Twitter trolls ‘got the better of her’(Herald Sun, Online). Dawson was scrutinized for hours which eventually led to the trolls encouraging her to take her life. As current regulations stand, this kind of behaviour is deemed acceptable as Twitter does not mediate content even if it’s ‘potentially’ offensive (Herald Sun, Online). Similarly, Facebook allows any content to stand until it is reported and only then is it potentially taken down.

Charlotte Dawson during her 'tell all'
60 minutes interview

If the Victorian Police have to ask that the public to exert caution with their social media use,   irrelevant of whether the public are being supportive or not, it suggests that even the law enforcers themselves recognise the severity the social media world can have. Laws or at the very least, stricter regulations, need to be introduced to ensure that social media does not completely take over. A trial should be decided by a fair minded jury, not a hate status seen on Facebook.

 

 

 

 

References:

http://ansonalex.com/infographics/social-media-usage-statistics-2012-infographic/

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/charlotte-dawson-how-the-cyber-trolls-beat-me/story-e6frf7jo-1226463635667

Image one:
http://www.independent.ie/national-news/man-charged-with-rape-and-murder-of-irish-woman-jill-meagher-3242325.html

Image two:
http://www.themercury.com.au/article/2012/09/07/359441_tasmania-news.html