That is one problem of the media, TV as well, it is mainly driven by commercial pressures. 'Just reflecting the public view', that is often their defence, and in the case of pedophilia it is mostly accurate, but they also shape it.

You should not add the latter sentence as a conjunction, Moth. They do shape the "public view." Especially when they use vehement adjective to describe certain event; they expect us to respond vehemently. If Terrorist "brutally" attacked the Americans in Iraq, they will do whatever they can to get that Thesis across to the Americans that they are evil: "Axis of Evil." And they are great at it too. Even Bush, on his previous speech, he gave a picture of what and how Iraqi's are responding, showing how evil it is. Media is not passive in their work, they are actively engaging in molding the public opinion for their liking: "Freedom of the Press", they say.