right to know

High profile cases like JonBenet and Elizabeth Smart enter our lives giving some of those captivated by these stories a sense of entitlement to sensitive, often confidential, details of the crimes and investigations. In the case of JonBenet, this right to know has been passionately pursued, often dressed up in a 'pursuit of justice for the childs sake' in this unsolved crime.

Jason questions the public's right to know in A Month of Change...
November 28, 2008

"Though Nicholas Browning has somewhat faded from the national limelight, I've become enthralled with the Elizabeth Smart saga, as well as that of JonBenet Ramsey.

Both cases strike me as instances in which the families -- both Caucasian, both wealthy -- knew more than they were letting on. The fact that they were both white and wealthy shouldn't be construed as making them any more likely to commit crimes, though it certainly determines the kind of attention they receive from the media... especially because it was their young, pretty daughters who were kidnapped, not their sons.

God only knows who kidnapped JonBenet. As for Elizabeth Smart, well, her father speaks like he's from another planet completely.

More importantly, does the public have a right to know what happened to her in all the horrifying detail, seeing how we were held captive by the media's nonstop coverage?"