The public has always been hungry for down and dirty story-telling. The phenomenon of graphic reporting is as old as time. In the 21st century, however, we have many more techniques to get information and spew it out. The blizzard of information is greater than at any time in history. With the ability to get more and show more, there's big controversy among the press themselves about how far to go.
Communications media are among the most persuasive and powerful forces in our society.
And it can go both ways. They can be aimed like a weapon of destruction, or they can be used as a tool for healing. Too often, victims are not fairly represented. They're blamed and humiliated for the harm they've suffered. And they're harmed once again by those crude images of the criminal events they've experienced that you're talking about.