Jack the Ripper
Bailey Wulle
Who, What, When, Where, Why's
Jack the Ripper is a notorious serial killer who murdered 5 prostitutes in 12 weeks- stabbing them with a knife and cutting out their organs. To this day, it is still unknown who committed the murders in Whitechapel, London in the 1800's, although many theories have been made regarding who is responsible. The reasoning behind the killing spree of the infamous Jack the Ripper also remains unclear.
Perspective #1 Media Portrayed
One perspective the media portrayed was that Jack the Ripper was actually a boarding school teacher named Montague John Druitt. Although there was never any significant evidence found against Druitt, media quickly helped him become one of the top three suspects. The media made the claim that in the 1880's Druitt underwent a series of stressors that are likely to have provoked his killing spree; shortly after losing his teaching job, his father died and his mother was institutionalized. A part from the stressors, the media also chose to indicate Montague was the murderer because of his untimely suicide in 1888, his body found briefly after the killings stopped.
Perspective #2 Media Portrayed
The media also had people pointed fingers at Prince Albert Victor. Even though there is no plausible evidence at all against this man, the media still had people convinced that this man was a serial murderer. Official documents and some newspapers provide strong evidence that Victor was not Jack the Ripper, but yet the media still was able to persuade people enough to write books and talk about him as a definite possibility. After his death the media portrayed him to be a sexual sadist who killed women with the help of royal family's doctor. It is said that his killings were caused by rampant case of Syphilis.
Media Bias
The type of bias most greatly seen throughout reading articles is a bias of source selection. The so called "number one suspect" varies depending on which article you read. Although no articles contain a sufficient amount of evidence to conclude who the murderer is each article is strikingly convincing. The media is able to pin many people to the murders giving their names negative connotation and making them out to be horrible people when nothing significant can be proven against them.
Criticism #1
The most obvious criticism portrayed is feminist criticism. Jack the Ripper murdered 5 women. He mutilated them and cut out their organs. There are many theories as to why he cut them up (searching for a pregnant woman or possibly cannibalism) but the reason is still unknown. It is clear however that Jack the Ripper was targeting and out to get women- specifically prostitutes.
Criticism #2
One of the sole reasons Jack the Ripper is still so well known today is because there is still no conclusion on who exactly Jack the Ripper is. This aspect of the case can be linked to historical criticism. If the murders had taken place in today's society, there is a much greater chance he would have been caught. In the 1800's however, they didn't have the same sources of technology as we now have. The advancement in technology around today makes it very difficult to get away with crimes.
Jack The Ripper | The Most Infamous Unsolved Killer The World Has Seen | Documentary
Citations
History.com Staff. "Who Was Jack the Ripper?: 6 Tantalizing Theories." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2015. Web. 01 May 2016.
"Jack the Ripper." World of Criminal Justice. Gale, 2002. Biography in Context. Web. 3 May 2016.