Anatomy of a murder trial

Robert Pickton. Photo: AFP/BCTV News
High-profile murder trials may bring out our mawkish curiosity, especially when the accused stands charged of being a serial killer, but how do you weigh the right to inform with the potential to appal?

The trial of Robert Pickton in Canada has mesmerised the country. Commentators have compared interest in the case to that surrounding the notorious Ed Gein in the late 50s, the inspiration for the character Buffalo Bill in Silence of the Lambs.

However, in a rare case of public approval for journalists and their working methods, a recent poll found that Canadians felt their country's media had struck the right balance in deciding how vivid its coverage should be.

Journalism teacher Mark Hamilton believes this trial may even be a watershed moment in Canadian crime coverage. On his Notes from a teacher blog, he cites the online-led reporting of the Vancouver freesheet 24 Hours, which features:

"Blog-style regular trial coverage, videocasts, background information and more. The coverage is being provided by two reporters. Given that freesheet newsrooms are small, that's a significant commitment."

Saying that, Hamilton does admit that he knows both correspondents for the paper.

When it comes to the main focus of the trial, the Vancouver Sun has blanket coverage and is not afraid to report the more graphic accusations. Its editor-in-chief says on its website:

"We will report fully what we consider necessary in the public interest and to provide an accurate record of the evidence led in court. We will not be salacious or gratuitously sensational."

Others feel nothing should be left out in a trial of this nature.

As Time's Deborah Jones says on the Canadian Journalist blog:

"Personally I have no problem justifying my own coverage of the trial, including the gruesome details, because I think the public needs to know what happened."

Pickton denies all the allegations. Whatever the outcome of the trial, if you find the press coverage is too sensational, or not morbid enough, you can always catch the book and the film later down the line.