Linking Case Study

Chicago Murder Trial Begins for Ex-Model

Former model killed 3 musicians with car in bid to end her life, prosecutors say

It was July 14, 2005—lunch hour in Chicago.

Three local musicians who worked day jobs together at an audio electronics company were stopped at a traffic light in a Honda Civic in a suburb north of the city.

A 23-year-old former model, who police said was trying to kill herself, ran three red lights and slammed the musicians from behind in her red Mustang convertible at a speed authorities estimated at 70 miles per hour.

Both cars flew on impact and each landed crushed upside-down on the pavement, witnesses said.

The three young men died. The ex-model, named Jeanette Sliwinski, walked away with a broken ankle.

Today, more than two years later, her murder trial begins.

"The one thing that would have brought this thing to closure would have been had she been successful in what she set out to do that day,'' said Dave Meis, the older brother of victim Douglas Meis.

Sliwinski's lawyers have denied that she was attempting suicide. Her current attorney did not return a call seeking comment on the case.

The crash and subsequent arrest brought Sliwinski internet infamy. Blogs and websites have posted modeling pictures of Sliwinski after she was arrested. (Click here for pictures.)

Last semester, I took a class called Reporting and Writing for Online. Every week I had to post two entries to my blog, but I would not receive full credit unless I included at least one link. Although I found the task annoying, I learned the importance of linking.

Linking can be used as a tool by news organizations. If an image is too sensitive to publish, a link can be provided online for those viewers who want to see it. This alternative prevents children from accidentally seeing impressionable images on newspapers or television. News editors can even print an easy link on a print newspaper for viewers who would like to see an image that was not printed on the paper. Linking to the proper sites can also enhance articles by giving readers background knowledge on the subject.

To be effective, links must be precise. First of all, it is important to link to a pop-up window so that the reader does not leave the current page. The idea of linking is not to take the reader elsewhere but to enhance content by providing support. Also, including the right amount of links is tricky. If you link too much, the reader’s eyes can get tired and the content might seem unoriginal. If you link too little, the content might seem incomplete or unsupported.

It is also important that the reader understands where the link will send him. The link’s destination specified over the original text. Lastly, news websites should not link to unofficial pages or sources of information because it will cause them to lose credibility.

The article above is an example of how a link was used incorrectly. The article links to an unofficial blog with pictures of the model. However, those pictures do not enhance the article in any way. Also, the text “Click here for pictures” is unprofessional and does not indicate what kinds of pictures it will show. Maybe some readers would not like to see half-naked pictures of the model, especially if they are in a public area. Unprofessional links damage the organization’s reputation and should be avoided at all times.