Casey Anthony: ‘Her story is her own,’ attorney says; but it plays everywhere - Hal

Casey Anthony: ‘Her story is her own,’ attorney says; but it plays everywhere
posted by halboedeker on January, 28 2013 5:40 PM

During our interview last week, Jose Baez said that the Casey Anthony coverage taught him there should be a clear distinction between legitimate media and tabloid media. Anthony’s former defense attorney said tabloid media lean toward entertainment.

“This case, more often than not, became entertainment to people,” Baez told me. “I think that’s one of the things that piled onto this tragedy.”

But it’s so very hard to distinguish between legitimate and tabloid media. All media have learned they have to be more entertaining in the Internet age.

Just consider: Baez will appear on “Dr. Drew on Call” at 9 p.m. Monday on HLN, and many would say that Dr. Drew Pinsky epitomizes tabloid TV.

People magazine used to be dismissed as tabloid, but it continues to break news in the Anthony story. People reveals that Anthony has been living in Cape Canaveral since late last year and has reconciled with her father, George.

On Monday, Charles Greene, Anthony’s attorney in the civil trials, was giving some very personal interviews about Anthony’s decision to file for bankruptcy. She says she has $1,000 in money but is $800,000 in debt.

Greene told WESH-Channel 2’s Amanda Ober that Anthony wanted emotional relief from people seeking money. “She’s living on the kindness of friends, for the most part,” Greene said. “So there are people that believe in her that will see her through this ordeal.”

Anthony did not watch the recent Lifetime movie “Prosecuting Casey Anthony,” Greene told Ober.

WFTV-Channel 9’s Anthony DiLorenzo reported that Anthony’s team had passed up lucrative offers to sell her story. “Of course, Caylee. What really happened, no matter what happened, is a very sad and a very troubling tale and she’s not ready to talk about it,” Greene told DiLorenzo.

WOFL-Channel 35’s Shannon Butler reported that Anthony can’t find a job in Central Florida and added that Greene would not be able to talk about reports that Casey has reconciled with George.

“No book deal, no contracts, nothing’s going on,” Greene told Butler. Greene turned to the camera and said, “Her story is her own. It’s a very private story, and nobody, nobody knows it, nobody’s going to know it for a long time,” he said.

That sounds like a confessional, which is very tabloid.

But the Anthony story plays in all media — legit, tabloid, television, newspaper, Internet, phone, blog. And bemoaning that fact won’t change it.

No one knows anything for sure these days in the journalism business, but I do know this: The Anthony story has kept a lot of people employed because viewers and readers remain interested.

http://blogs.orlandosentinel.com/entertainment_tv_tvblog/2013/01/casey-anthony-her-story-is-her-own-attorney-says-but-it-plays-everywhere.html