The Power of Journalism

Natalie Butko
nb861214@ohio.edu

Kwame Ajamu was brought to tears many times during the 90 Minutes Series he was speaking at on November 7, 2018. Nearly four years ago, a judge cleared him of the murder charges against him from a 1975 crime in which he did not commit. The media coverage around the case largely contributed to the final outcome.

An online search did not yield any news coverage from 1975 when the incident took place. The oldest result that appears is an article from 2011 from the Cleveland Scene magazine. Ajamu mentioned this article during his discussion and cited it as the point of change.

In "What the Boy Saw" Cleveland Scene writer, Kyle Swenson, meets with Ajamu and explores the incident in question. He interviews witnesses from the case that could still be reached 35 years later.  Swenson used many of the Society of Professional Journalists' Code of Ethics in his reporting.

Of course, he sought the truth and reported it. Even 35 years later, Swenson went to reliables sources such as witness and a police officer. His story touched upon many of the values of truth such as identifying sources clearly, giving a voice to the voiceless, and serving as a watchdog.

Swenson also honored the code of acting independently. With no personal connection to this case, he sought out all sides of the story. He wasn't being paid by Ajamu to write this story either. While Ajamu was a large part of the story, Swenson still reached out to the key witness as well. Media coverage and a want to find the truth is what changed the outcome of this case.

One of the only witnesses in the case was a 13-year-old boy named Edward Vernon. In an effort to report from all sides of a story, Swenson contacted Vernon in 2011 to hear his side. Vernon refused to talk at that time, saying, "as far as I'm concerned, it's a done deal." However, several years later Vernon confessed to his pastor who questioned him after reading the Scene's story.  Vernon admitted he lied during testimony because of pressure from the police. He was only 13 years old at the time of the murder.

As Amuju explained during the 90 Minutes Series, Vernon's confession and the overturn of the convictions would not have happened without a journalist looking to report the truth. Swenson didn't just read and accept what had been reported in court documents and articles. He asked questions and did interviews like any honorable journalist should do in an effort to uphold the code of ethics.

Since the exoneration in 2014, dozens of other media outlets have reported on the case. Almost all of the headlines are linked to emotion, but convey a sense of victory. Examples include "Moment Man Exonerated After 27 Years in Prison Will Bring a Tear to Your Eye," "After Wrongful Conviction, Three Lifetimes Spent With Hope In Check," and "Ohio Men Free After 40 years: 'I'm on an emotional high.'"

Source: NBC News

Of course, media outlets will happily report a wrongdoing reversed. Journalists everywhere and especially those entering the field, need to use this case as an example to always uphold the code of ethics, particularly seeking the truth. Journalism has the power to change lives just like it did in this case. Don't simply accept what has been said as truth in the past. Dig deeper and keep questioning because it may just change someone's life.