Well, if blacks are tired of this type of coverage, then maybe they will try and get a hold on their thug kids who go out and do this crap. There is some truth to stereotypes ya know.

Most murder victims don't have headshots for the paper.

In the Voice piece all the editors deny race was a factor. I'm not going to call them liars based on gut-feelings and supposition. However, I would like to know the mindset behind coverage of a similar story: BEAUTIFUL WHITE FEMALE drug dealer was killed in her 2nd ave apartment by two BLACK MALE thugs. The story was front page and 6 o'clock material for a week or so. Meanwhile a street corner small-timer is gunned down in Mott Haven and we hardly hear his name. But then again rehash, rehash, rehash. We've all been through this already.

I don't mean to disrespect the victim, but if she was celebrating her new job, what if she and her friends were a bit inebriated?? Maybe she would not have said such a thing to the robber to taunt him. I feel terrible about this tragedy. And she lead to the capture of this terribly violent idnividual and friends of his. She prevented many future crimes that this person could commit. God bless her.

Debbie, believe whatever you want. I've actually served on trials in which weirder things were said and done. And guess what? None of those trials got media coverage. Why? Well, no idea, but most of those trials involved non-white people.

If you think other murders are just "plain" you really need to educate yourself.

Captain Obvious: my point was not that it isn't possible that overall if the victim is white more media coverage is given than if the victim is black, but *in this particular case* it's because it's a such bizarre story.

Debbie, type "Sarah Fox" into Google and read on. The second and third results are both Gothamist posts that tell you everything. Or click on my name and get to one of the stories there.

Find a catchphrase in the case of Sarah Fox and I'll give you a great big "no prize".

Excelsior!

Who's Sarah Fox?

Actually, Captain Obvious, the media loves catchphrases. "If the glove doesn't fit, you must acquit," "I did not have sex with that woman," etc.

Debbie, look at the forest and not the trees. When Sarah Fox went missing and then was found dead, there were no catchphrases either. That's simply a fact. The same holds true for other crime cases.

If you're white regardless if you are rich, poor, talented or lame you will automatically get more coverage than a non-white person. Plain as day.

It's shocking when a white person dies. It's not so shocking when a non-white person dies. I mean (*sarcasm on*) they are all animals and they just kill themselves, right?

Here's my snarky encapsulation of why I think this story has been covered this much: Not many other murders come with their own catchphrases.

Uhh.. hello, we're not really debating the tradegy of DuFresne's murder.

We are criticizing the media for it's selective journalism, much as Gothamist does.

But let me ask you this Anon: If a mugger were to approach you, pistol whip your boyfriend/girlfriend in the face and than demand your money, would you say "what are you gonna do, shoot me?"

You probably wouldn't even if someone were to pay you.

There are things you say and don't say. DuFresne unfortunately said the wrong thing.

So we are wondering, why did DuFresne receive so much coverage as opposed to other murder victims? Would you like it if you were murdered and no-one gave a shit about it, but if your neighbor got murdered than the media pursues the story with the same vigor as it pursues Micheal Jackson?

Debbie,

I'm a coward for what? Not posting my first name? You're saying if she'd kept her mouth shut, she'd be alive. You're probably right. But I still think you're an asshole. Work late, have a few drinks, and get robbed sometime. Preferrably with your significant other. Maybe the robbers will be a bunch of teenagers, some of whom beat the crap out of your significant other, while another apologizes. Maybe you had a rough week and it culminates in this. See how you react. If you live, get back to us. Relate for us on your demeanor, and how capable you were of rational thought. I've had a gun stuck in my face. I know how it feels to be powerless and terrified while some shitbag kid determines whether you'll live or die. I gave up my wallet and looked at the ground and he walked away. But I don't see why that experience would entitle me to get online and tell everyone how stupid a murder victim is and say that she deserved to die. That's what you are doing. It makes you an asshole.

Over and out. I'm done. I hope you and everyone you love lives a long and healthy life. Getting murdered sucks.

You know, I have something TOTALLY new to say. If she hadn't been WHITE, this story wouldn't have been BIG! IF she had been POOR and/or BLACK, no one would have cared. Oh wait, actually, no, I lied. It still would have been a big story if she were POOR and WHITE because, in the end, the media clearly doesn't care for RICH BLACK PEOPLE, oops, I meant POOR BLACK PEOPLE. I myself am a STRUGGLING ARTIST type, living in RED HOOK, VASSAR ALUM.

Six other people were murdered that night, but their deaths weren't given the same coverage that duFresne's was. How many of them were with their boyfriends/girlfriends at the time, who can now grieve in public in bizarre ceremonies, and make statements to the media?

It's funny how reasonable the coward Anon sounded until the very end. "As long as we blame each other for people shot by thugs, we'll continue to be shot by thugs"? Um? Did you ever hear of personal responsibility? After the Central Park Jogger rape women took the precaution not to go to the park early in the morning alone. There are tips that cops give on what to do if you are being mugged, and talking back to the guy isn't at the top of the list.

Clearly the mugger is also a murderer and deserves to go away for a long time. But that doesn't also mean that if duFresne had kept her mouth shut, this wouldn't have happened.

Finally, why did s/he put my name in quotation marks? Does s/he think it's an alias? Perhaps next time I should call myself "Captain Obvious" or "Anon."

You are all so busy complaining that journalists are racists for turning the Dufrense murder into sensationalist headlines, you forget to mention that not one of you could give two sh*ts in a Turkish toilet about a black or latino person getting mugged and killed.

These hacks are, after all, appealing to YOU, not to some fictitious white-supremacist Archie Bunker silent majority in the greater metro area.

As the NY Press put it, there were six other gunshot fatalities the week of her murder. How many of those people got newspaper coverage? That's right, zero. And, oh yeah, they were black and latino. That's just the way it goes.

If anyone doubts racial bias in the media, just look at the tsunami victims -- brown and black victims were generally treated as unnamed masses, but the few western victims (Swedish, British, American, for example) were named, had individual photographs, had photos and interviews with the families, etc.

http://nypress.com/18/6/pagetwo/newshole2.cfm

So david333, by your reasoning even if America were a white nation, why does that justify Nicoles coverage over others?

You can use the term 'stood up for herself' but i'm going to use the term 'challenged the mugger (who was wielding a pistol).'

Also you mention that NYC cares more about a 'pretty white girl' who stood up for herself..etc etc. than a boring non-white. How do YOU know if the other 7 victims that were killed within the same week were boring? How? The news? Ha!

This is not to detract from the unfortunate event or disrespect DuFresne's death.. but it's not hard to be more interesting than someone who works in the service industry and is an aspiring actor. I work in the service industry with these idiots. I know.

The final word is that America and NYC care more about a 'pretty white girl," who stood up for herself, getting murdered, then someone who was boring and of a different race. Everyone just needs to accept that and move on. I dont think you can read into it much more.

America is still a white nation despite a large miority population. Thats the facts...

Joe, regarding this statement:

"Everyone seems to agree that if this were a black woman killed the media could really care two hoots. Interesting. So tell me, when was the last time a white thug murdered a middle class black woman during a botched mugging? I'm just saying..."

Watch any episode of C.O.P.S. to see non-black scumbags doing nasty stuff. And specific to New York (Nassau Countty), what about the white couple--male/female--who robbed a whole pile of banks, murdered 3 people in the process and are now waiting arraignment? Or does white trash not count?

Hey "a", yes people have said it was a race related in the past. I definitely have said this in this case and in others. But the reason it's interesting now is that outside of the blog-world circle-jerk, others--such as the Village Voice--are saying it like it is. The outside world is at least acknowledging that race plays an issue.

I've talked about how anyone can check Police blotters on any given day and find out about crimes that are equally heinous. Sadly, the victims are not white at all. Heck, go and sit in night court or criminal court and watch the parade of perps and victims.

Anyone who thinks the coverage of Nicole's death is not based on race is simply dellusional. Thankfully other real journalists and people with clear heads are calling this stuff for what it is.