LINDY CHAMBERLAIN "A dingo ate my baby!" A saying known worldwide, but where did it originate from? It was a famous cry from a helpless mother, Lindy Chamberlain, as she saw a dingo take her baby. Though Lindy was innocent, she was wrongfully convicted in a trial by the media. In the Lindy Chamberlain trial, the media made untrue and unfounded comments about Lindy that negatively affected the jury's views on the case, and it was no longer a fair trial. In 1980 while on a camping trip, Azaria Chamberlain, Lindy’s daughter, was taken and killed by a dingo, however, Lindy was wrongfully convicted for the murder of her daughter. A few years later, she was proven innocent after some undeniable evidence was found. However, her conviction could have been prevented by the use of suppression orders, as the media would not have been able to negatively affect the …show more content…
In Azaria Chamberlain's case, the media negatively impacted Lindy’s right to a fair trial by publishing false rumours that were not based on evidence. As news organisations are primarily influenced by the market in order to acquire more customers, they discussed the case in a highly opinionated and negative manner. As a result, news coverage fanned suspicions regarding rumours like Azaria's sacrifice (Linder, 2012). Additionally, Lindy Chamberlain was never seen crying on TV, which was also controlled by the news channel to portray her as guilty (Why did this happen?, 2019). As people would turn to the news and rely on it for their information, their bias was lined up with what the media was saying. Rumours started flying all around the media, such as the ones about how Azaria’s name meant sacrifice and that there was a coffin made