Media Injustice in the Slaying of an 11-year old Boy

The media reported on September 31, that Sam Manzie, 15, was arrested for the crimes against Werner. Manzie, however, was not harshly criticized in the press. Rather, it was repeatedly explained that Manzie, a resident of the same white, middle class suburban neighborhood as Werner, was a polite, quiet, well-behaved, honor student at a Catholic school. Articles maintained that Manzie spent a lot of time on his computer and while that fact somehow made him socially suspect in the eyes of the media, the press was very slow to convict Manzie. It was as if the press could not believe that such a proper looking, clean cut teen could commit acts such as those perpetrated against Werner.

On October 2, a bizarre twist in the Werner case was brought forth. The media announced that Manzie, the suspect, was also the victim of a pedophile he had met on America Online. At this point, the media's coverage shifted. Articles no longer focused on Werner's death, but became obsessed with Manzie's relationship with the 43 year old man, Stephan Simmons, who the boy had met online. No longer did the press care about Werner's grieving family or his shocked town. Instead they examined Simmons's relationship with Manzie. Articles did not place blame on Manzie or portray him as a criminal. ÊInstead, he was portrayed almost completely as a victim. The notion that a teenager could be a sexual being was downplayed throughout the entire ordeal. It was as if the media did not want to admit that teens could be gay or responsible for deviant sexual acts. The coverage de-emphasized the fact that that the teenaged Manzie had raped Werner, focusing rather on the deviance of the pedophile Simmons. The relationship between Simmons and Manzie was portrayed as completely one sided, with Manzie as the victim, not a willing participant (although evidence indicates that Manzie was willing).

In the coverage that ensued in the following weeks, the fact that Manzie stood accused of a serious crime was almost completely ignored. Manzie's crime, thought it was much more serious, was downplayed while Simmons's pedophilia became the main cause of alarm within the articles. Articles nearly excused Manzie's crime because he himself had been a victim (even though he had been a willing participant in his relationship with Simmons). It appeared that the press did not want to admit that a smart, clean cut boy from next door could commit such heinous acts. The press led the public to believe it was dirty old men and not clean cut teenagers who were responsible for violence and sexual deviance. In fact, in the most recent articles, Werner's death was mentioned only as a passing thought and used a basis for discussing Simmons's alleged abuse of Manzie. The interest in this case has developed into a discussion of the Internet and pedophilia, not murder.