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• Preoccupation with the accused and the grisly details of the crime can romanticize the crime and the killer, and can make your coverage one-dimensional.
• Instead, focus on the life of the victim and the effects of the murder on the victim's family and friends.
• During trial and sentencing, even though the courtroom events are the "news," don't ignore the victim's family and friends.
• When crafting the lead of your story, consider putting the victim's name first. You might follow this example from The (Everett) Herald:
Jury selection was scheduled to begin today for the final person facing murder charges in the death of Rachel Burkheimer.
John Alan Whitaker, 23, of Everett is charged with aggravated murder and conspiracy to commit first-degree murder. If convicted, he faces life in prison without release.
• Sensitivity in your reporting and writing can help build trust between you and your sources. The victim's family and friends might be reluctant to speak with you in the weeks following the crime; but months later, they may feel like sharing their stories with a reporter who has treated them respectfully.
• Try to provide context for your readers. How common are murders in your town or neighborhood? Avoid letting stereotypes drive your writing and reporting.
Dart Center Resources
• "A Different Approach to a Murder Trial." Instead of focusing on courtroom events, reporters from The (Everett) Herald focused almost exclusively on the murder victim's family - accounts of courtroom proceedings were relegated to a sidebar.
• "How does the victim get to be the goat?" by Paula LaRocque. LaRocque compares two newspapers' coverage of a homicide. Through their selection of details about the victim, the two papers portray the victim differently. One paper presents a more complete portrait of the victim; the other gives an incomplete look, one that seems to imply that the victim was somehow to blame.
• "Soham: The Reporting of Murder." A discussion among journalists, psychotherapists and clergy about coverage of the murder of two schoolchildren in the British town of Soham.
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