The Blade Runner
Some would refer to him as ‘the fastest man on no legs”. As prestigious as this may sound and as fast as he may be, not even the famed Blade runner has a fair chance of running out of this overblown mess.
Oscar Pistorius, don’t blink, you’ll miss him.
His golden persona has elicited sympathy from the masses since his incredible story was introduced to the public back in 1997 when he was fitted with his unique “Flex-Foot” prosthetic running blades. This world champion sprinter soon became, in most people’s eyes, a legend that lived by his inspiring mantra; “You are not disabled by your disabilities, but able by your abilities”. However, recently, headlines have turned away from his achievements on the track and concentrated on the tragic shooting death by Pistorius of his glamorous model girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp. Digital and paper print articles have not been complete without some critical analysis of the unravelling of the Pistorius case, consequently, raising the question to the inquisitive minds of the readers, is the media reporting the ‘real’ story? And if not, is the media’s manipulation of the truth hindering or helping the accused?
Firstly, there is the sympathy angle. Of course, the constant stress and high expectation of being a professional athlete would lead many to conclude that Pistorius cracked under the pressure and indulged his trigger-happy tendency. Many publications told such to believe that stress is prevalent within a sports start’s life. Stress in athletes, however, is usually related to the use of growth hormones- not the abuse of a firearm
and consequently the loss of life.
Reeva Steenkamp’s Valentine death took the world by surprise, evidently causing a mighty media storm. The Hollywood Reporter informed readers that “witnesses heard a woman scream, followed by gun shots”, further leading to support the speculation that the murder was pre-meditated.
According to The...