Why was JonBenet's case so highly publicized?

[eileenhawkeye]

So from this topic, I've gathered that JonBenet's case got extraordinary media attention because she was a beautiful 6-year-old beauty pageant contestant with an entire portfolio of controversial photos and videos, who was found murdered in the basement of her million dollar home, the day after Christmas, which put her CEO father and former Miss America contestant mother under a cloud of suspicion because many thought they were using their money and connections to get away with murder. Phew! It was basically everything the media loved in one case.

I would also say that her murder was the publicized of all time, or at least in the last 25 years, so I'm not including JFK, Lindbergh baby, Jack the Ripper, etc here. I'm not including the OJ Simpson case here either (since it was more covered than JBR) because his case was a trial; whereas JBR's an actual murder investigation. Hopefully, everyone understands why I think their cases and the coverage they got are different. Anyone disagree with me about JBR's murder being the most publicized of the last 25 years? And since we can see how many "factors" JBR's case had to reach the level of media attention it did, it makes me think that no case will ever get as much publicity.

But like I mentioned in my first post, the media covers murders differently now. The ones they get national attention get 99% of that coverage from NG, whereas JBR was talked about by all the media outlets. I was 4 when she was murdered and I didn't start following the case until 2005 and I knew who JBR was and the very basic facts of her case in early elementary school (late 90s). I have a very faint memory of my mom watching the news about JBR and saying something like, "They need to arrest the mom already---She killed her!"

 

[Agatha_C]

Eileen,

I wish I had the answers for why one small child mattered more then the other 2000 children that were murdered in the US in 1996. 2 year old C.T Turner was reported missing. Later found naked and dead in a creek next to his home, he had died of asphyxiation. His parents acted guilty, the police thought them guilty, the step father failed a polygraph and yet no one is in jail. I had never heard his name until I googled 2000 murdered children in 1996. Im wondering if anyone remembers his name from the news back then? I highly doubt it and that my friends is just as tragic as JBRs story. So why did she matter more to the public?

 

[azwriter]

Certainly I agree the JonBenet case has pageant written all over it. In fact, she was a second generation beauty contestent, remember Patsy was in the Miss America contest representing her home state of West Virginia.

What made this case one for me to watch was the first news I heard. The report I first heard was that a little six year old was missing, then found dead in her home basement and was found by her father. Bingo! Immediately I wanted to know more. For whatever reason, when I heard she was found in the basement by her father my mind went straight to someone living in the house did it.
Also, being Christmas, that also brought the attention. Not unlike the Laci Peterson case where she was reported missing on Christmas Eve.

Regardless of the key reason, you have to all admit, this has been one heck of a case to study. After all these years, here we are still discussing it.
I have enjoyed and have been enlightened by all of your posts on this subject.


jmo

 

[eileenhawkeye]

I don't think that JonBenet's case matters more than CT Turner's case or any other child who was ignored by the media. I may find JBR's case compelling but that doesn't mean that I feel worse for her than I feel for any other child who suffered a similar fate. I think that is how most of the public feels; Yes, JBR's case had some very interesting elements but she wasn't the only child to ever be murdered.

In this topic, we discussed all the factors that JBR's case had that got it national media attention. We came up with many factors which obviously most cases don't have, so those cases end being forgotten. Like you mentioned, there are 2000 children murdered every year so for the media to pick up a story, it has to be pretty unique from all the others.

It's also important to remember that although JonBenet received immense media coverage, her case is still unsolved. No one has spent a day in jail for murdering her. There are plenty of cases that are solved which are unknown to the general public. So that in aspect, JonBenet is no better off than CT Turner since they both haven't received justice.

The media has gotten better with reporting on missing/murdered children. The only children whose cases got national media attention in the 1990s were Polly Klaas, JonBenet, and maybe, Megan Kanka. I can name dozens of children who received some national media attention in the 2000s. A very large part of that is due to NG.

 

[joeskidbeck]

I think everyone here has commented on all the reasons this case was so well publicized. There are really too many to count and all of them add up to more "drama" than we've seen before or since. We (as Americans) seem to thrive on drama and there was so much in this case that it naturally spilled over into the worldwide stage.

 

[Agatha_C]

I don't think that JonBenet's case matters more than CT Turner's case or any other child who was ignored by the media. I may find JBR's case compelling but that doesn't mean that I feel worse for her than I feel for any other child who suffered a similar fate. I think that is how most of the public feels; Yes, JBR's case had some very interesting elements but she wasn't the only child to ever be murdered.

In this topic, we discussed all the factors that JBR's case had that got it national media attention. We came up with many factors which obviously most cases don't have, so those cases end being forgotten. Like you mentioned, there are 2000 children murdered every year so for the media to pick up a story, it has to be pretty unique from all the others.

It's also important to remember that although JonBenet received immense media coverage, her case is still unsolved. No one has spent a day in jail for murdering her. There are plenty of cases that are solved which are unknown to the general public. So that in aspect, JonBenet is no better off than CT Turner since they both haven't received justice.

The media has gotten better with reporting on missing/murdered children. The only children whose cases got national media attention in the 1990s were Polly Klaas, JonBenet, and maybe, Megan Kanka. I can name dozens of children who received some national media attention in the 2000s. A very large part of that is due to NG.

Eileen,

I am so sorry that sounded the way that it did. I let my frustration with a situation Im going through here cloud my thinking and I let it show in my post. I realize that I am on a JBR forum and what else would be talked about here if not her. She too is important to me and Im glad we here havent let her be forgotten. No child should be forgotten. Please know fellow posters, nothing could be more important then this child or any child and I meant no offense. Im sorry!

 

[Agatha_C]

I think everyone here has commented on all the reasons this case was so well publicized. There are really too many to count and all of them add up to more "drama" than we've seen before or since. We (as Americans) seem to thrive on drama and there was so much in this case that it naturally spilled over into the worldwide stage.

You are 100% correct Beck.

 

[BOESP]

I'd think the Ramsey professional PR team and Ramsey willingness to appear on television helped create interest even though they seemed more interested in being celebrities.

 

[BBB167893]

I'd think the Ramsey professional PR team and Ramsey willingness to appear on television helped create interest even though they seemed more interested in being celebrities.

Makes you wonder, doesn't it?

 

[KariKae]

Although I know this is not a thread about pageants, I will make a few comments regarding pageants. My oldest daughter has participated in both natural and glitz pageants. I can say the photos posted here (and shows like Toddlers and Tiaras) are the extreme of the pageant world. In most pageants, my DD wore and outfit from The Gap for sportswear (as did most of the other girls). Of course, evening wear is where you see the most outlandish outlandish outfits.

Why did I allow my daughter to do pageants? For me, it was very important for my daughter to develop poise. So many young women today lack poise (Think Jackie Kennedy Onasis poise). And IMO, my daughter enjoyed it.

I will agree that some of the moms have issues. They push their daughters and spend money they do not have to enter their daughter's in pageants. And it is not a cheap hobby. And many of the moms are downright vicious to each other. Especially at the higher levels where most moms bring a professional stylist with them to do their daughter's hair and make up. I have often wondered what kind of pageant mom PR was. Was she the laid back kind? Or was she a full out pageant mom?

FTR - my older daughter is not participating anymore. Just wanted everyone to know the JonBenet pageant child is the way all pageant children look. And especially Barbie girl up top...Yikes...I would never submit that photo.

 

[eileenhawkeye]

I'd think the Ramsey professional PR team and Ramsey willingness to appear on television helped create interest even though they seemed more interested in being celebrities.

The media attention was mostly RDI up until 2006 so I don't think the R's PR team worked too well. The whole point of a PR team is to look good in front of the public which the R's definitely did not. I think the PR team was more to just arrange interviews since I'm sure they were getting tons of requests. I'm not 100% sure how it works but I'm guessing that whoever wanted an interview would call the PR team and they would tell the R's what one would be the best one to take. There have been other cases with less media coverage, where the parents had media consultants. They were probably getting tons of requests for interviews so I can't blame them for having a professional to handle it all.

The two biggest factors that got this case huge publicity, were pageants and wealth, which were both put in place years before the murder. The PR team may have helped the R's to be more media savvy and approachable but I don't think it's a big reason why the case got the attention it did. I guess you could say it was more of a secondary reason than a primary reason.

 

[UKGuy]

There are thousands of little kids murdered every year so why did JonBenet’s case become the most publicized child murder of all time? Plenty of missing/murdered children have gotten national media attention but none of their cases reached the level of infamy that JonBenet’s met.

What do you believe was the biggest factor in JonBenet getting the media attention she did? Was it the pageants? Was it John’s wealth? Was it Christmas? Was it how John and Patsy acted?

If JonBenet had done pageants but lived in a middle class neighborhood, would this case have gotten as much attention? What about if she was still in pageants, still rich, and murdered in July instead of near Christmas?

How about other factors like her unusual name? What if her name had been Jessica Ramsey? Would that have made a difference? Do you think that the OJ Simpson case also played a part in the media attention since people were still annoyed that wealthy OJ got away with murder and thought it was going to happen with the Ramseys?

It seems to me that the reporting of missing/murdered children has changed in the 2000s. It looks like back in the 90s, the media gave immense attention to very few cases, like OJ and JonBenet. Those cases had no competition. Now in the 2000s, the national media (mainly NG) will do a few stories for a week on one child and then move on. There doesn’t seem to be as much extensive coverage on every channel for months, even years, on end anymore on just one case.

I thought this was would be interesting to discuss.

eileenhawkeye,
Public awareness of child sexual abuse. Christmas Day Announcement. Daughter of a Millionaire. Pageant participation. And those pageant pictures.

Followed up by the autopsy photos, all but guaranteed maximum media coverage. With no closure, this means journalists have a story to run and run, particularly when copy is thin on the ground.


p.s. same media phenonomen has just played out in the UK. Young attractive woman found dead on Christmas day. Joanna Yeates ( google for the landlord) The story ran and ran, the tabloids simply invented some of their facts to match their headlines.


.

 

[eileenhawkeye]

The case being unsolved has definitely helped it to get national attention for 14 years. If you look at other cases that had big media attention when they happened but were solved, such as Danielle Van Dam, Samantha Runnion, and Laci Peterson, those cases have all gone away. We know what happened in those cases and the persons responsible are all on Death Row now so there is nothing to report. Obviously, JBR's case has faded too from the national spotlight but we still had Anderson Cooper 360 a few weeks ago and all the media outlets reporting about Burke being reinterviewed back in October so it has not completely disappeared like those cases have. Since the case is unsolved, there is always going to be developments, even if they're very small, that the media can report.

Another reason that we didn't really mention was it was an actual mystery. No one knows what exactly happened in that house. People may have their theories that JBR's parents killed her but that's vague. No one knows what parent did what, how exactly the events transpired, what triggered the murder, the point of the RN, and what Burke was doing during all of this.

 

[BOESP]

Setting up photo ops for the memorial service is only one example of the efficiency of their PR team. I don't recall seeing many (if any) other parents of child homicide victims appearing on television except, mainly, for news casts. The Ramsey's did several programs for what I call entertainment television.

 

[eileenhawkeye]

Setting up photo ops for the memorial service is only one example of the efficiency of their PR team. I don't recall seeing many (if any) other parents of child homicide victims appearing on television except, mainly, for news casts. The Ramsey's did several programs for what I call entertainment television.

National media does not care about 99% of child murder victims so that's why you don't see most of their parents on TV. It's not like these parents are rejecting interview requests; they're just not being asked. Other parents of murdered children don't go on Entertainment TV because Entertainment TV isn't interested in their child's case. JonBenet and OJ are the only murder cases I've seen mentioned by celebrity gossip websites, magazines, and TV shows.

Also, what programs specifically did the R's do that was Entertainment TV? I know about the National Enquirer interview but what else was there?

I think that JonBenet's pageants and her parent's wealth played a much bigger role in her case getting a lot of publicity than the R's funeral pictures, PR team, and Entertainment TV interviews. Kyron Horman's parents are very willing to speak to the media and even released 200+ pictures of their son yet that case is mostly local. So even if parents are very media savvy, it doesn't mean that the case will become huge.

If JonBenet was a 17-year-old runaway with a history of drugs and prostitution, and her face was on every media outlet, then I would say that the parents' PR team helped the case to get massive attention.

 

[BBB167893]

I have often wondered what kind of pageant mom PR was. Was she the laid back kind? Or was she a full out pageant mom?

I've heard the phrase "driven perfectionist" used.

 

[joeskidbeck]

National media does not care about 99% of child murder victims so that's why you don't see most of their parents on TV. It's not like these parents are rejecting interview requests; they're just not being asked. Other parents of murdered children don't go on Entertainment TV because Entertainment TV isn't interested in their child's case. JonBenet and OJ are the only murder cases I've seen mentioned by celebrity gossip websites, magazines, and TV shows.

Also, what programs specifically did the R's do that was Entertainment TV? I know about the National Enquirer interview but what else was there?

eileen, Larry King Live was one and another was the Christian Broadcasting Network show (I can't remember the name right now but there's a link on the media thread). Both of these appearances were designed to paint the Ramseys in the best light possible.

 

[eileenhawkeye]

eileen, Larry King Live was one and another was the Christian Broadcasting Network show (I can't remember the name right now but there's a link on the media thread). Both of these appearances were designed to paint the Ramseys in the best light possible.

I don't consider Larry King Live or the Christian interview to be Entertainment TV. Larry King's show is on CNN and was on for 25 years. By Entertainment TV, I was thinking of Inside Edition, Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood, and E! News. I agree with you that that both of those programs were designed to paint the R's as being innocent but I bet it was because of some head producer who was IDI. Or they figured they would have a better chance of getting them on the show if they promised to portray them as innocent parents of a child murdered by an intruder. Also, LKL is notoriously soft with guests so he's not going to be asking them any hard questions.

 

[joeskidbeck]

I don't consider Larry King Live or the Christian interview to be Entertainment TV. Larry King's show is on CNN and was on for 25 years. By Entertainment TV, I was thinking of Inside Edition, Entertainment Tonight, Access Hollywood, and E! News. I agree with you that that both of those programs were designed to paint the R's as being innocent but I bet it was because of some head producer who was IDI. Also, LKL is notoriously soft with guests so he's not going to be asking them any hard questions.

I'm sorry. I thought you meant tv shows that were publicity opportunities for the Ramseys.

 

[BOESP]

L

eileen, Larry King Live was one and another was the Christian Broadcasting Network show (I can't remember the name right now but there's a link on the media thread). Both of these appearances were designed to paint the Ramseys in the best light possible.

The Christian show was in Hawaii. There was another where Patsy said what if we were murderers (or words to that effect). Not typical grieving parent television.

Eileenhawkeye, please check the media links in the "sticky" section on this board. There's a plethora of examples listed.