Sharon Tate Case Essay

1. The media continuously impacts, both positively and negatively, victims every day. Whether they are providing accurate, too much or inaccurate information, it will forever impact the victim’s life. Debra Tate, sister of slain Sharon Tate, describes events that occurred after her sister had been murdered by Charles Manson. Back in the late 60’s, there were no rules or regulations when it came to the media and victims. Debra specifically recounts that although cameras were around almost every day, they were not ready for the media circus that followed her sister’s death. After this heinous crime, the Tate family lost all privacy as the media would camp outside their home to get a glimpse at their reaction. The media shifted gears, and rather reporting about Tate they chose to report about Manson and his followers. While there is a plethora of negative that have come out of this evil murder, there is some positive. The Tate family came together to become pioneers in the victims’ movement; After battling depression, Doris, Sharon’s mother, worked on passing California Proposition 8. This propositions “allowed crime victims the opportunity to speak in court, by reading a “victim impact statement” during the sentencing
In each of the cases, a victim’s advocate would have been a liaison between the family and the media—which includes the reporters. An advocate knows what to say and what to never say to the public. In the Tate case, the advocate could have possibly prevented the gruesome murder scene photos from becoming leaked to the public. In the Shepard’s circumstance, an advocate could have helped her to spread that her son was the victim of a hate-crime. They could have put out a message to the public that the author who claims that drugs were the reason for Matthew’s death is completely absurd. In Lewis situation, an advocate could have been at the door when an undercover news reporter claimed to be a family friend and requested funeral