A Murder in Queens: Examining the Facilitative Role Through the New York Times Coverage of the “38 Witnesses” Case

On March 14, 1964, Kitty Genovese was stabbed to death early in the morning outside of her apartment house in Queens, New York. In this study, the researcher examined how the New York Times demonstrated the facilitative role during its coverage of the murder and its aftermath by analyzing as primary documents 24 news articles, as well as 10 letters to the editor, published in the newspaper between March 14 and July 7, 1964. New York Times reporters used the Genovese murder, especially an angle about 38 witnesses who heard or saw the murder but did not intervene, to facilitate conversations about the apathy of New Yorkers, the complexity and conflict of the city, anxieties about the anonymity of urban life, and breakdowns of social conventions. Times reporters admirably performed the facilitative role throughout their coverage; while there was initial public dialogue and debate—evidenced by multiple letters to the editor, as well as several articles and columns with differing perspectives and, at times, speculations—the true facilitation occurred in the sixty years since the initial murder and coverage. However, while the Times performed well as a facilitator of rational-critical debate and dialogue, it ultimately failed in its role as a newsgathering organization.