KITTY GENOVESE: HOW THE MEDIA GOT IT WRONG

Nearly two weeks after her murder, Kitty Genovese was on her way to becoming just another victim in New York City where hundreds of people are killed every year. But a lunchtime sit-down between the police commissioner and a New York Times editor quickly changed just that. The newspaper ran a story reporting that 38 people had watched as a killer stalked and stabbed Genovese. Years later The New York Times corrected its reporting to say that many facts in the report were not true, but the impact of that original article still shapes public perception of the case today. Tonight, we dissect where the media went wrong and the evolution of the false narrative with investigative journalist and author Diane Dimond.

Aired on May 31, 2016 and March 13, 2019.