The OJ Simpson case was all over the news, making it hard to avoid thinking or talking about it. The trial alone lasted nearly a year, during which citizens across the country were divided primarily along racial lines. The media also greatly influenced people's inability to view OJ as a murderer. Especially for African Americans, his life was an example of the American dream. He was an NFL Hall of Fame running back, a Heisman Trophy winner, charming and widely known, making it hard to believe he could give it all up for murder. He was a role model for many African Americans, while many whites thought he couldn't have failed to achieve this. I think the media could have influenced the outcome of the verdict. Many media outlets exposed problems with policing, racism by some LAPD officers, and caused even more tension between the police and the black community, which had lasting effects even after the trial. As an African-American juror, one may have felt a responsibility to ensure that OJ was released, either for reasons of race alone, or because they believed the evidence did not incriminate him, in particularly given the numerous investigative errors. Either way, this is one of the biggest media stories that will never come to light.