This assignment focuses on the Steubenville, Ohio rape case, which occurred in August 2012. This case
involved the repeated public rape of an unconscious 16-year-old high school girl by two high school football
players, both also 16 years old. The offenders and their friends photographed the sexual assault, shared the
photos with other students, and posted them on various social media sites. The two boys were convicted in
juvenile court in March 2013.
First, read the ABC News article, “The Steubenville Rape Case: The Story You Haven’t Heard” and watch the
videoLinks to an external site.
https://abcnews.go.com/2020/steubenville-rape-case-story-heard/story?id=18705357
Second, watch the CNN Breaking News video (embedded below) that reported the guilty verdict in the case.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MvUdyNko8LQ&t=2s
Then, write an essay of at least 300 words addressing the following questions:
- How do these media reports portray the victim?
- How might these portrayals influence public perception of the victim?
- How do you think the ABC and CNN reporters view the victim in this case?
- What is your reaction to these reports and why? Be sure to support your claims and arguments.