Media Impact

The internet makes it virtually impossible to avoid one-on-one communication with an unfamiliar person. From Facebook to Ebay, the web is a never ending mass communication tool. Sometimes, there are danger zones in which some are not aware they need to avoid. Take Craigslist, for example. A website created for the average Joe to buy, sell, and give away goods and services and to find jobs, homes, events etc. Sure, there is no real way to filter the people on the other end to distinguish if they are a murderer or thief. That is the danger of a site set up this way and is essentially ran by the public. Some blame the site for being the reason crime is committed, and say there needs to be a change in order to avoid brutal situations.

A father blames Craigslist for his daughter’s death due to the site’s lack of screening who is visiting and posting ads. A 19 year old woman met a man who was a 36 year old sex offender posing as someone else. He admitted she was drugged, killed and dumped in the ocean, on his behalf. The young woman’s father believes with today’s technology there should be a way to detect if convicted sex offenders are using Craigslist.


As tragic as this event is, Craigslist is ran by it’s users, meaning it should be used by the discretion of them as well. The site cannot be responsible for people who decide to use it as an outlet for violence. If one is to meet with a complete stranger, it is only necessary to bring someone else and let others know the details of the meeting for safety reasons. No stranger can be trusted, that is why it is necessary to take extra precautions when meeting someone from the internet. Craigslist can make changes to the site to help eliminate crimes, but there is no real way to control or predict the users’ intent. The site cannot be blamed for a decision both the man and woman decided to make.
http://www.click2houston.com/video/19531615/index.html