Amanda Knox is back in the news again — though depending on where you live, you’ll likely see a different perspective.
“Look at this face. Who do you see? A spirited girl who loves her family… never been in trouble before? Or the face behind a sex-game gone wrong?” (Via ABC)
An Italian appeals court recently found her guilty, again, of the murder of her former British roommate, Meredith Kercher. Knox spent four years in prison before she was accuited this May. (Via Channel 4)
From the moment this video surfaced of Knox kissing her then-boyfriend, the European tabloids haven't exactly painted the Seattle native in a favorable light. (Via CBS)
They called her everything from “Foxy Knoxy” to the”Bambi-eyed killer.” Shameless in Seattle read another recent headline. (Via The Daily Star, Daily Mail, Daily Mirror)
KNOX: "The reason why they continue to perpetuate this idea is because it would legitimize their accusations against me." (Via CNN)
When an Italian court issued its recent guilty verdict, NBC notes it was "received with a hint of satisfaction by Italians."
Contrast that with the recent coverage in the U.S, which has tended to focus on Knox being "frightened” at the prospect of being extradited to Italy. (Via Los Angeles Times, E!)
Others, like a writer The Atlantic have taken issue with Italy’s "carnivalesque justice system."
A system Business Insider calls “completely insane.”
But there are those who contend U.S. press is going easy on Knox. Civil rights attorney Alan Dershowitz says he’s never seen a more one-sided presentation.
"You see the questions on television. No one asks her a hard question, no one presses her lawyers." (Via Newsmax)
Ultimately, some say the difference in coverage uboils down to an issue of national pride. Americans see this as the latest example of a misguided Italian legal system, whereas those in Europe see Knox as another American getting away with wrongdoing.
The U.K.'s Sky News commentators say the real victim — Meredith Kercher — has been forgotten in all this. "All the media attention has been on Knox but we forget that there is a family here trying to achieve justice for the fact that their sister has died." Via Sky News)
Also from Britain, The Guardian's Nick Richardson has a cautionary message to fellow journalists: "If we do feel strongly one way or the other, we'd do well to ask ourselves if something besides evidence has a hand in our opinion.”
Knox has vowed to fight her murder conviction, and says she won’t go back to Italy willingly.
