How Media Narratives Harm Real People
When someone is arrested, most people assume the story begins with the crime.
But for many families, the story begins with something far more damaging:
the moment the media decides who their loved one is.
Before a person has a chance to speak…
Before evidence is reviewed…
Before the truth is even known…
A headline, a photo, or a quick news segment can rewrite a life.
The Power of the Wrong Photo
One of the most harmful things the media does is choose a picture that tells a story before the facts do — often an old mugshot, a photo taken during the worst moment of someone’s life, or an image where the person looks tired, upset, or unkept.
The public doesn’t see context.
They don’t see trauma.
They don’t see the human being behind the expression.
They see a stereotype.
And once that image is out there, people assume guilt long before the legal system has even begun its work.
The Language That Shapes Public Judgment
Words matter.
When headlines use phrases like:
“violent offender”
“career criminal”
“dangerous suspect”
“known to police”
…it silently teaches the public to fear the person, not question the system.
Even if the person has never been convicted of anything violent.
The media rarely clarifies:
if the person was acting in self-defense
if they were a victim in the situation
if they were misidentified
if they had no representation during questioning
if the evidence is unclear
Those details don’t attract clicks.
But they shape real lives.
Why This Matters
The justice system is supposed to operate on the idea of “innocent until proven guilty.”
But the media often flips that:
Guilty until proven human.
Families then have to fight:
not just for legal fairness
not just for due process
but for the right to be seen as people
The harm doesn’t go away when charges are dropped or corrected.
Reputation doesn’t magically reset.
The internet doesn’t forget.
The Impact on Mental Health
People inside the system often hear how the media described them.
It affects:
their self-worth
how officers treat them
how other incarcerated people see them
whether they are targeted
how much compassion or hostility they receive
A headline can follow them into a cell.
A photo can become a weapon.
A narrative can become a sentence of its own.
What We Must Hold the Media Accountable For
The media should:
use neutral language until facts are verified
avoid mugshots unless necessary
share full context, not selective details
include families’ perspectives when appropriate
correct misleading information with the same energy used to publish it
Until then, communities must stay aware of how narratives are manipulated.
What You Can Do
The next time you read a headline or see a mugshot:
Ask yourself:
What don’t I know?
Who chose this photo?
What narrative is being pushed?
Is this a complete picture — or a convenient one?
If more people questioned the story instead of accepting it, fewer families would suffer under the weight of assumptions.
There is always more to the truth than a headline can hold.
And that’s why The Jarrell Initiative exists:
To create space for real stories, real people, and real context — not the versions that are filtered through clicks, bias, and stereotypes.
Because everyone deserves to be seen as human.
Before the system speaks.
Before the media frames the narrative.
Before the world decides who they are.