What the Media Doesn’t Tell You When Reaching for a Story on OJ Simpson

Fallen. Destitute. Disgraced. No longer the American Hero. Hold up…wait just a darn minute. That’s what the mainstream media wants you to believe. These are the words coming from people who probably have never even spoken to OJ before or during incarceration. So how and why do they get to control the narrative? Doesn’t destitute mean penniless? If four million I the bank and $20 grand a month is penniless, where do I sign up?

Let’s break down this headline of an article printed by the BBC — OJ Simpson: A history of the fallen US football icon. Things that make you go…huh? Like I said, let’s break this down. 1) If you are giving someone’s history, you talk about all that they have done. This article speaks of two criminal cases yet the headlines says “football icon.” Two paragraphs mention his football history. The rest of the article, slanted in tone, mostly rehashes the Los Angeles trial in the 90’s. 2) The headline is very deceiving. This is how media plays the game. Journalists, who are supposed to be fair and impartial and give no opinions whatsoever of the facts, such as the lone where OJ was acquitted by a jury of his peers, blatantly slants articles to appeal more to the courts of public opinions. Then, hide behind the people. The article’s last line — “And while the 1994 murders remain unsolved, that is how many Americans see “OJ” today.”
You can read the article in its entirety here to see if you agree.
Even if you don’t agree, let’s fast forward to his parole hearing. My husband, Rufus Triplett, and I had the opportunity to appear on CNN as expert panelists for the OJ Simpson Parole Hearing. We watched it LIVE all the way through to his lawyer’s press conference and we educated the TV panel and the producers regarding several behind the scenes things they did not know about OJ. I believe the biggest shocker is that he is still very well loved by many people. Many, many, many people. OJ received our magazine, Prisonworld Magazine, during his incarceration.

OJ was receiving anywhere between 1000–1500 letters a week in prison. Yes, his mail call was lit during his 9 year bid. This is something that the mainstream media nor any of these opportunistic guards who are all over the talk shows will tell you. They don’t want you to know that side of things. But, as you can see by this prison letter, he hired people to help him to respond to all of the correspondence.
Infamous news outlets are running stories, with experts, on OJ’s behalf, because let’s face it, he is a ratings killer, but the advice they are giving is general and almost irrelevant to someone like OJ. CNN pulled Kato Kaelin out the desert. Who cares what he thinks OJ should do or if he wants to see him. Did he write him while in prison after he received five star hospitality while staying in his home? Why speak on it now?

There are a few things to remember when someone the media doesn’t like is getting out of prison. There’s always another side to the story that you will probably never hear from them and the ultimate decisions for parole or release is not up to the public no matter how they narrate it. Prison is about rehabilitation. Parole hearings are about the discussion of such rehabilitation not to rehash every time you have been in the media for a story. I think more people are forgetting this because they feel they have the right to punish someone even after they have served their time.
If more mainstream media outlets can’t stop showing their bias when it comes to celebrities committing crimes and prison time, then maybe they should be fair across the board. I’m sure Robert Downy, Jr would love to talk about his incarceration and crimes instead of his Iron Man box office smashes. I’m sure Tim Allen would love to talk about his confinement for drug trafficking instead of his latest movie or TV Show. I’m sure Martha Stewart would love to talk about her months of captivity every time she does something instead of her latest product. This would only be fair coverage. But since there seems to be an ax to grind against OJ, I won’t hold my breath.
And another thing, if the media doesn’t like the fact that OJ has done his time and is about to get out and live his life…don’t report on him. Simple.
