Introduction
This paper examines the role of the media in the Caleb Harrison murder case within the framework of criminology to discern what media channels have presented the death of Caleb, his mother, Bridget, as well as his father, Bill Harrison. Through a thorough study of the accounts about this event written in Mississauga News and Toronto Life media platforms, this paper scrutinizes how the narrative about the case has been constructed and analyzes whether there is biased or omitted information and framing techniques used by the media involved. Upon achieving this objective, researchers found out the dynamics between the victim’s and the offender’s representation: the use of gender and race, the language choice used, the presence or absence of expert opinions, or the factors that catapulted the case’s popularity in the media and the society at large.
Summary of the Case
The matter concerns three mysterious deaths of Caleb, his mother Bridget, and his father Bill Harrison, who occurred within their small house located on the Pitch Pine Crescent in Mississauga. A series of numerous deaths, who died under mysterious circumstances, was Bridget’s first one, and with time, it was revealed that she was killed by asphyxiation. When the exact incidence of Caleb’s death was thought of as suspicious at first hand, then the autopsy results confirmed that it was indeed a homicide. To be specific, Melissa Merritt (Caleb’s ex-wife) and her common-law husband, Christopher Fattore, were charged with a double murder in the first degree as a result of Caleb and Bridget Harrison’s deaths.
Analysis of Media Sources
The media sources take many angles on Caleb Harrison’s case, thus creating a running story from which the viewers can see varied perspectives and learn more about the case. In the article called “Three Deaths, One Home and a Mystery,” featured in the Mississauga News, the main event is Caleb Harrison’s death, with a mention of his parent’s death in recent years. The article asserts that the case is a perplexing mystery of the incident, the magazine focusing on how the family members breathe their last (Amy Dempsey/Torstar Network Mississauga News, 2013). It decomposes Caleb’s troubled past with his disciplinary record, personal problems, and the early years of his life, which form a complex description. The language of the article is objective and non-speculative, which purposefully tries to keep a detached description of the events without giving any inferences regarding the possible intentions behind the deaths. Experts, especially law enforcement personnel, are referred to to give succinct views on the ongoing probe.
Conversely, the article “Couple accused in Harrison murders remanded into custody” from Mississauga News emphasizes the criminal justice system’s function rather than the consequences of the crime; its title suggests that Melissa Merritt and Christopher Fattore were held in custody to await trial. This part touches on the specifics of defendants’ arrests and the court proceedings they went through, giving the readers a glimpse of the judiciary side of the case. Louie Rosella Mississauga News (2014) states that It is pretty evident that the attributes mentioned above of gender and race do not contribute any notable impact on the whole script of this article as they are mainly centered around the charges and the court proceeding, not a mere personal background check of the accused people. Language is examined in a professional tone and legalistic manner, and the wording one must comply with while presenting facts, correctness, and objectivity without using additions like sensationalism and speculation. The simple recounting of events fills the readers in on the course on which the case progressed, thereby increasing the knowledge of the issues surrounding these Harrison murders.
In contrast to the candid reporting in the news articles, the feature piece from Toronto Life titled “House of Horrors” interrogates the complexities of interwoven life experiences and relationships, which eventually culminate in the Caleb Harrison case. This story expands the essential list of precisely what has happened, and constant research on the diverse and multifaceted background of the phenomena mentioned is also conducted (Lista, 2018). The article takes us deeper into the history of the marriage of Melissa Merritt and Caleb Harrison. It discusses its ups and downs and arises as well as the resulting custody battle after their separation. The article uses vivid scenes of individual portrayal, enhancing the complexity of the characters, standing them up not as mere executioners or captives but with concrete imperfections and aspirations.
Moreover, Lista (2018) delineates a detailed analysis of the factors behind the killing, pointing out that ambition and anger intertwine circumstances. Thereby, more and more issues are involved that make the narration much livelier. Therefore, the readers are invited to discuss the numerous components causally linked to the tragedy. With carefully selected descriptive and emotive language, the article maker engages the readers and draws them into the tragedy, allowing them to feel like the people in the story.
Reflection
In the Caleb Harrison case examination, when different media are considered, each has shortcomings and biases, which are equally essential to consider. While the coverage from perspectives from Mississauga News and Toronto Life offered varied opinions of the events, I agree with certain aspects of both portrayals. Media reports gave a brief descriptive analysis of the processes but failed to touch on the intricate details of that criminal case. Conversely, Toronto Life features in-depth natures of those who participated and highlights the personal reasons motivating them, adding to a comprehensive understanding of the tragedy. Nevertheless, all sources may have had a kind of bias for whatever varieties of motivations they happened to have for taking the positions they did. Affairs like sensationalism, personal viewpoints of journalists, and the social willingness of the public to keep up with the news spread in this type of plot made the case Friday rather famous in the news and society at the same time.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the case of Caleb Harrison in the media provides valuable insights into the representation of victim and offender, gender bias and race, language application, expert evidence, and the attraction of crime stories to the public. Through critical analysis, this paper resolved that news coverage is more complex and that one should distinguish newspaper articles between factual reporting and sensationalized writing. The social realm can cultivate more embracing perceptions of justice, victimization, and the complexity of criminal behavior through critically scrutinizing media constructions of crime.
References
Amy Dempsey/Torstar Network Mississauga News. (2013, August 31). Three deaths, one home, and a mystery — what happened to the Harrisons? Mississauga.com. https://www.mississauga.com/news/three-deaths-one-home-and-a-mystery-what-happened-to-the-harrisons/article_084069ff-0716-547f-b5b0-9cd51a4ce253.html
Louie Rosella Mississauga News. (2014, March 14). Couple accused in Harrison murders remanded into custody. Mississauga.com. https://www.mississauga.com/news/couple-accused-in-harrison-murders-remanded-into-custody/article_754f37dc-3ef5-58ff-bc02-bd5307808284.html
Lista, M. (2018, June 25).HOUSE OF HORRORS. A family was systematically slaughtered in this house—by a furious ex. Toronto Life. https://torontolife.com/city/house_of_horrors/
write