Media Coverage of the Duke Lacrosse ScandalThe 2006 Duke Lacrosse case brought to light many of the issues and divisions currently plaguing our media sphere. This terrible act of injustice, which blamed three innocent Duke lacrosse players, Reade Seligmann, Collin Finnerty and David Evans, for the rape of an African-American stripper, attracted widespread media attention that gripped America for almost a whole year (Wasserman, 3 ). Today, many scrutinize the methods by which the media covered the case and believe that certain codes of ethics were not respected. Instead of remaining neutral, newspapers and television allowed themselves to be "used" by Mike Nifong, former district attorney of Durham and prosecutor in the case, reporting only his version of the incident and the investigation (11). While some newspapers such as Newsweek and The News & Observer were relatively quick to recognize flaws in the investigation, many major outlets such as the New York Times overlooked important evidence and published inaccurate information. In response to this, the Duke Lacrosse case saw a huge increase in blog reporting, as many sought to uncover the truth. In conclusion, the media overstepped their limits in reporting this particular case, demonstrating the compelling effects that sensationalism has in the field of journalism. The date that marked the beginning of this particular case was March 13, 2006. It was spring break week for Duke University and the lacrosse team was scheduled to stay in Durham for practice. On the night of the 13th, some of the older players decided to hire strippers for a team party they planned to host at their off-campus house. The senior and captain, Dan Flannery, contacted Allure Escort Service that day and paid ...... half of the document ...... n. Overall, the lessons learned from the Duke Lacrosse case are important, and the media should always be careful not to judge too quickly. Works Cited "The Duke's Rape Suspects Speak." CBSNews. CBS Interactive. Network. April 15, 2014. "Durham-in-Wonderland." Durham in Wonderland. Network. April 16, 2014. "NewsObserver.com." DNA tests ordered for Duke athletes. Network. April 15, 2014. Seigel, Michael L. Race to Injustice: Lessons Learned from the Duke Lacrosse Rape Case. Durham, NC: Carolina Academic, 2009. Print.Wasserman, Howard M. Institutional Failures: Duke Lacrosse, Universities, the News Media, and the Legal System. Farnham, Surrey, England: Ashgate Pub., 2011. Print.