Tuesday afternoon, Casey Anthony was found not guilty of killing her daughter, Caylee. The trial has been extensively covered by media outlets and has captivated millions of people, but you don’t even need to watch the news to keep up with the trial. It’s practically all people are talking about on Facebook and Twitter. Time magazine has called it the “social media trial of the century.”
Of course, this isn’t the first time a court case has captivated the nation and turned into somewhat of a public spectacle. But usually the trials the masses are most interested in involve celebrities, such as those with OJ Simpson and Michael Jackson. Some people have called the public’s obsession “OJ Trial 2.0.” The difference is that because of technological advances and the popularity of social media, there are more ways to keep up with the trial.
There were live stream video feeds of the trial, which were trending on GetGlue.com for weeks, and Hearst TV and Progressive Lifestyles offered mobile apps of the live stream. It was hard to even use the Internet without seeing coverage and discussion of the trial, whether it was on Facebook, Twitter, or another website.
The Casey Anthony trial is similar to the OJ Simpson trial not only in media coverage, but also in the reaction to the verdict. In both cases, many people as well as media outlets and personalities felt sure that Anthony would be found guilty.
As with any controversy, people are taking to Twitter to discuss. The Orlando Sentinel reported that within an hour of the verdict being announced, the hashtag #caseyanthony had been used 34,000 times and #notguilty was used 20,000 times. Celebrities such as Kim Kardashian have expressed their disbelief, and of course, lots of people are mocking and making jokes about the whole ordeal. While the trial is over for now, don’t expect people to stop talking about it for quite a while.
Are you one of the millions captivated by the trial? How have you taken to discussing the trial?
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Tags: Casey Anthony, celebrity, court case, Facebook, Kardashian, social media, Twitter
I was very disappointed with this verdict for many reasons! I feel as though she will make a lot of money off of her daughter’s death and the trial which is very sad to me. I can’t wrap my brain around her behavior after the death of Caylee and not reporting her missing for 31 days. I just can’t fathom someone doing that to a child, let alone your own.
I was enthralled with this trial and story from 2008 and followed every aspect of it. I was especially appreciative of where social media is today. Social media sites were so convenient, I was updated almost instantaneously! Better yet – I could share my thoughts and discuss the trial and events with others as well.
The Casey Anthony trial has been compared to the OJ Simpson Trial in many aspects. I can remember being in grade school with the TV on and everyone waiting anxiously for the verdict. I can only imagine what it would it would be like if Social Media sites existed then!
The verdict was shocking to me and I decided that I did not even want to see any further coverage from then on. What if the ratings eventually profited Casey? I have to wonder if anyone else thought that as well.
we won’t be seeing the last of casey anytime soon! its interesting to think about where she’ll be in one year from now, and i’m sure people will be stalking her for years to come
[...] Social Media Sites Explode with Discussion of Casey Anthony Verdict–Tuesday afternoon, Casey Anthony was found not guilty of killing her daughter, Caylee. The trial has been extensively covered by media outlets and has captivated millions of people, but you don’t even need to watch the news to keep up with the trial. It’s practically all people are talking about on Facebook and Twitter. Time magazine has called it the “social media trial of the century.” [...]