Author Archives: keith.ferrante

After reviewing the segment once again, my thoughts were reinforced by what I heard from the producers. They cited several things regarding the case and they touched upon some key facts why the case played out the way it did.  The Fives’ vulnerability, their race, their inexperience with crimes (they had never been in trouble before), no attorneys being present, and a huge amount of pressure were contributing factors to their downfall. Hearing Raymond Santana’s side of things also was important because it highlighted the transition problem that released prisoners face when returning to society.

I was happy that the professor used radio to help us learn.  Specifically, the AM dial and the talk radio sub-genre has been important in the history of our country.  With the rise of the Internet, radio has taken a backseat.  From a very young age, I was taught the importance of AM radio and how it spread news/information so quickly.  Most people don’t know that when the atmospheric conditions are just right, we can hear AM radio stations from all over the world.  Just turn on the radio and explore it for yourself.  Here upstate, there is an historic, highly-powered AM station that has been at the forefront of news distribution since the beginning of radio.  The station is 810 WGY and it gave me my first lesson because I learned that if I listened to the facts, listened to news reports, then I would be well-informed.  I knew this when I was 5 years old.  I shared this story because I see talk radio/AM radio as an important cog in our social fabric.

In the beginning of class, I was very happy that we were going to watch this film because I had never heard of it before.  I found it to be compelling and I was constantly going through the plot in my head as I watched.  Also, another important reason why I liked it is the obvious connection it had to our class as it contained important concepts that we have been focusing on.

The fact that the story centered around defamation and in particular, libel, was important because it provided our class with a visual representation of these crimes.  The film was an example for us of what to do and what not to do in that particular situation that the Miami Standard and Megan Carter found themselves in.

Megan Carter made serious errors when working.  The most important mistakes:

• Failure to contact Michael Gallagher before her initial piece on him for the Miami Standard
• Therese Perrone Matter—She failed to adhere to Perrone’s wishes about not having her name printed in the paper

At the end of the movie, I felt terrible and really sad because this story was so similar to something that happened in my own life regarding a local newspaper and news media companies here in the Capital Region.  Many years ago, the death of a family member caused unwanted media attention and further, it caused unwarranted speculation in the media.  Because it played out in the media, it was a terrible feeling having people see these things in the paper resulting in those people making their own conclusions and disrespecting me and my family in the process.  I know how it feels to wake up, go to the store or school, and see your personal business out in the open, for everyone to see.  It’s a heartbreaking feeling, especially when it isn’t true.  The media needs to be very careful when reporting.  They also need to double-check everything.  This movie just serves as a serious reminder of this.

Hi Everyone,

• Serious NYPD errors that were facilitated by a rush to judgement without adequate investigation and evidence
  • No DNA evidence or any other physical evidence
• The Five were wrongfully “grabbed” by cops in Central Park after a night of running around the park with a larger group of kids “wilding”
• Systematic and institutional racism existed within the NYPD and the media during the late 1980s and this contributed to the quick public downfall and conviction of the Five

My conclusion is that this was a societal failure.  Many factors contributed original guilty verdict handed down for the five young men accused of committing this heinous crime.  It was clear that the NYPD was under serious pressure as a consequence of the times and this was a story that the media could jump on easily and take it as far as they did.  The fact that important institutions and the public were so quick to have a judgement on the matter was a sign of the negative environment gripping the city.  This environment caused the thoughts and actions of many people were shaped by prejudices that already existed.