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Bonnie Merino

Lemiere, Amber

ENG 101 True Story

December 1, 2017

Dishonest Pictures

In this day and age, it is easy to become duped by the media's version of a true story.

Monalisa Perez and Pedro Ruiz III are a young couple whose attempt at YouTube fame turned

deadly. By analyzing the articles written about the couple, several inconsistencies stood out

creating conflicting conclusions between each of the versions. These inconsistencies that the

media caused created varying perceptions about what happened. The court of public opinion has

painted Monalisa as a bad person because of this exact problem. News stories of today lack

compassion for everyday people, adequate varied resources, and non-bias interpretations which

prevents a thorough delivery of a true story.

On June 28, 2017, several news stations reported an unbelievable story about two

YouTubers. Pedro Ruiz III, 21, and Monalisa Perez, 19, have a three-year-old daughter and are

seven months pregnant with their second child. While Monalisa mostly posted videos of her life

as a stay at home Mom, Pedro was more interested in posting wild stunts like acrobatics on the

top of jungle gyms. Together, they posted videos of their family life at home and on family

outings. Ruiz wanted their YouTube channel to gain a lot of followers and researched different

stunts and pranks he could perform for the YouTube community. Pedro researched and found

information online that there was an encyclopedia that was impenetrable if shot by bullets and

that became his newest YouTube stunt idea. After testing the theory, Pedro convinced Monalisa

to participate by shooting the gun as he held the book to his chest. Phil McClausland, a reporter
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from NBC News, reported that, on that day, Monalisa posted on Twitter, Me and Pedro are

probably going to shoot one of the most dangerous videos ever. HIS idea not mine

(McClausland 1). Monalisa shot toward Pedro while he held the book covering his chest.

Unfortunately, the book was penetrated by the bullet and it killed Ruiz. Monalisa was charged

with second-degree manslaughter.

A very important part of telling a true story is having compassion for the people being

written about. Using techniques to appropriately humanize the people in a story helps a reader

relate. The Society of Professional Journalists expresses the importance of journalists to, Show

compassion for those who may be affected by news coverage (SPJ Code of Ethics 1). When a

person is being referenced or described in a story, it is important that we remember who the story

is about and be cautious when describing the people or events. The reason it is important to

humanize people is because family members, businesses, and affiliations of the person could be

negatively impacted. In the CNN article written by Tony Marco titled, Woman Fatally shoots

boyfriend in YouTube stunt. A title written as such, could mean a woman shot and killed her

boyfriend, on purpose, for a YouTube stunt. If someone perceived the title as an intentional act, it

could make Monalisa appear as a psycho killer even though she is an average human being.

Inside the article, a different story plays out and includes a quote from Perdos Aunt that says,

They were in love. They loved each other. It was just a prank gone wrong (Marco 1). Although

some of the information inside the article does make the story more innocent than its title

indicates, there are still heavy consequences. The repercussions of this title of an article will

remain on the internet forever. Since this incident was an accident, this article title alone, creates

a bad reputation for Monalisa and anyone associated with her, including her children. Writers

need to acknowledge that, just because a horrible accident happened does not mean this person's
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life is over. In fact, its probably become more trial some than the woman ever thought it could

be. Anytime her name is searched, that title could pop up. She could face losing job opportunities

and even friendships that could serve as a healthy support system for her to get through a tragic

time in her life. Having compassion for the people whose stories are written about in a public

forum, can still be true and not cruel. That is where the line should be drawn.

An important rule when telling a true story is to compile information from many sources

that tell the true story without bias. Giving raw facts without judgement will give the most

accurate telling. According to Aidan White of Five Principles of Journalism, Journalists cannot

always guarantee truth...Most stories have at least two sides.... Stories should be balanced and

add context (White 1). It is easy to agree that audiences need an even amount of facts and a

balance of information to provide all the facts needed for an audience to interpret a story

accurately. In USA Today, Mary Bowerman does scratch the surface of the story but just doesn't

give enough information. Bowerman provides an unbiased title, gathers information from

different articles, and does not add an opinion or bias throughout her writing. Although she

provides unbiased and true information, her story does end up a bit bland. Since she did not

provide enough detail, her story becomes untrue because she leaves out facts about Pedros
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involvement of the stunt. The story written by Tony Marco at CNN gives a truer report using

several resources to describe the whole story in detail and even used quotes from family

members, local reporters, Monalisa, and Pedro. Tony Marcos story was most thorough and

well-rounded because he was sure to include different angles of the story and still come out

accurate. True stories should include all sides, whether good or bad. When reading or viewing a

true story, there is an automatic expectation that facts will be used to form a story and that the

reader will receive honest information.

When a true story is being told, it is important for the writer to not only be truthful, but

also be specific to prove the accuracy of the details within the story while leaving out

unnecessary details exaggerating an idea. If a story is told with exaggerated details, a reader

might feel that the writer is trying to sway their beliefs toward a certain stance which disallows

the reader from making their own conclusion. After reading several articles about the woman

who shot her boyfriend on accident during a YouTube stunt, there were prevalent additional

information in some while a lack of detail in others. Correspondent Kevin Williamson from

National Review explains that journalists should be honest and accurate by providing gun type

and names and says, The most straightforward way to do this would be to describe firearms by

their caliber and action If the brand name is known and seems relevant, theres no reason why

that couldnt be included, too (Williamson 1). An example of an exaggeration that could lead to

misinterpretation is, Phil McClausland from NBC News quotes a local sheriff named Jeremy

Thornton as saying, a gold Desert Eagle .50 caliber handgun considered one of the most

powerful pistols in the world (McClausland). None of the other articles mention the extra

description. It is known that NBC News takes a more liberal viewpoint on political matters, and

with recent shootings, gun control and regulation have been a major demand for liberals. Maybe
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the reason to add this description to the weapon detail is to make people fearful about the lack of

gun regulation and control in America which, in turn, has the potential to sway the reader's

position on the subject. In a different article, written by KMSP with Fox News, she fired a

.50-caliber handgun. Fox News is known to share political siding with conservatives. Based on

what correspondent Kevin Richardson says, the Fox News article is providing accurate basic

information. But, take note that the gun brand name was not mentioned, which may be a way to

hide information, make the information not seem relevant, or play down the importance of the

weapon choice to avoid having conservative agendas negatively impacted. Although, this detail

seems minor, it is clearly an effective way to persuade an audience to have a certain opinion.

Writers should leave out details that are not necessary to tell the true story and to be sure to

include descriptive facts that give a full true story without using persuasive hints.

True stories told by the writers of today are compromised by their use of biased views

and distorted details while dismissing compassion for the people in their stories. The details of

peoples lives in stories need thoughtful consideration and specific details should not be

boundless to produce a valid story. Not gathering multiple sources to obtain a balance of

information within a story creates an uneven representation of facts and misleads readers.

Stopping the use of bias, exaggeration, inhumane storytelling, and ensuring the gathering of

multiple versions of events can make the media stories more authentic.
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Sources Cited

Bowerman, Mary. Minnesota Woman Seeking YouTube Fame Fatally Shoots Boyfriend in
Stunt Gone Wrong. USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 29 June 2017,
www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/06/29/minnesota-woman-fatally-shoots-
boyfriend-youtube-stunt-gone-wrong/438406001/.

KMSP. YouTube Stunt with Gun Leaves Boyfriend Dead in Halstad, Minnesota. KMSP, 28
June 2017, www.fox9.com/news/youtube-stunt-with-gun-leaves-boyfriend-dead-
girlfriend-in-jail.

Marco, Tony. Woman Fatally Shoots Boyfriend in YouTube Stunt. CNN, Cable News
Network, 29 June 2017, 5:28 AM ET, www.cnn.com/2017/06/29/us/fatal-youtube-
stunt/index.html.

McCausland, Phil. Teen YouTuber Shoots and Kills Boyfriend in Video Stunt, Police
Say.NBCNews.com, NBCUniversal News Group, 28 June 2017, 6:00 PM ET,
www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/teen-youtuber-shoots-kills-boyfriend-video-stunt-
n777851.

SPJ Code of Ethics - Society of Professional Journalists. Society of Professional Journalists -

Improving and Protecting Journalism since 1909, pp. 1, Sigma Delta Chi, 6 Sept. 2014,
4:49pm, www.spj.org/ethicscode.asp.

USAUKNews. Monalisa Perez & Pedro Ruiz: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know. USAUKNews,
28 June 2017, usauknews.com/monalisa-perez-pedro-ruiz-5-fast-facts-you-need-to-
know/.

White, Aidan. Five Principles of Journalism - Media Ethics. Ethical Journalism Network,
Accountable Journalism Resources, pp. 1, ethicaljournalismnetwork.org/who-we-are/5-
principles-of-journalism.

Williamson, Kevin D. The Media's Dishonest Reporting on Firearms. National Review, The
Corner, 2 Jan. 2017, www.nationalreview.com/corner/443465/journalisms-gun-reporting-
dishonest-lazy.