On September 6, 2017, South Strand News, a community newspaper in South Carolina, reported on the case of an elementary school principal who was charged with child neglect. According to the article, Kimberly Lynn Means-Nesmith, the principal of Brown’s Ferry Elementary School, was charged with “unlawful neglect of a child or helpless person” because she left her two daughters, ages five and six, locked in a hot car while she went into a grocery store with her two-year-old son (Stairs, 2017). They were found in the parking lot, calling for help and trying to get out, and the temperature outside the car was measured to be 85 degrees (Stairs, 2017). The excuse given by Means-Nesmith was that they had been sleeping when they arrived at the grocery store, and she had only planned to be gone for a short period of time (Stairs, 2017). Even though the children were ultimately unharmed and permitted to go home with their father (Stairs, 2017), this article has a significant impact on the reader. It makes the reader feel pity for the children who were locked in the car, as well as concern about the fact that an elementary school principal would consider it appropriate to leave her children locked in a hot car.
In general, the reporter adopts a neutral tone throughout the article, but an analysis of the article does provide some insights into his view of the people involved. The language that he uses to describe the children when they were found – “crying and banging on the windows” – suggests that he is sympathetic toward their plight. Also, he depicts a scene where other “concerned customers had gathered around the locked car,” which suggests that he views the other grocery store shoppers as responsible citizens who were responding reasonably to a clear problem. The reporter also describes the excuse that Means-Nesmith gave to the officer, but he provides no indication that he considers it to be a legitimate explanation.
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"Brown’s Ferry Elementary Principal Charged with Child Neglect – Analysis".
Because the reporter appears to be sympathetic to the children and the concerned citizens, he indirectly appeals to the reader to adopt the view that Means-Nesmith’s actions were inappropriate. The reporter also suggests experienced educational professional like Means-Nesmith should be more responsible than to leave her children locked in a hot car. He chose to include details about Mean-Nesmith’s work history – not just her current position as the principal of Brown’s Ferry Elementary School, but also her previous jobs as the assistant principal of Andrews Elementary School and a curriculum coach at Brown’s Ferry, McDonald, and Waccamaw Elementary Schools (Stairs, 2017). This information is not necessarily relevant to the legal case, but it enables the reporter to raise the concerns of the community about a person in whom they had previously entrusted the care of their own children. The reporter does not offer any specific solutions, although he does report that Means-Nesmith had been placed on administrative leave (Stairs, 2017).
The media can have significant effects on child neglect and/or emotional abuse. First, the very fact of reporting cases like this one may lead to fewer cases of child neglect. Especially in the summer, it is relatively common to hear about the dangers of leaving children in hot cars, and reading story in the newspaper detailing an arrest like this may deter people from doing so. Also, by portraying children who are subjected to child neglect or emotional abuse as sympathetic, a newspaper can raise public awareness about this important issue. As a result, it may be possible to win the support of public advocates for projects or legislation aimed at further reducing the incidence of child neglect and emotional abuse in the future.
- Stairs, C. (2017). Brown’s Ferry Elementary principal charged with child neglect. South Strand News. Retrieved from http://www.southstrandnews.com/crime/brown-s-ferry-elementary-principal-charged-with-child-neglect/article_87dd8e12-930f-11e7-92db-bbb59bc501a7.html
