– For todayNow you can listen to FOX news headlines!
It’s hard to overestimate how much the media environment — especially the social media environment — has changed the coverage and public understanding of major legal crimes over the past 30 years. The case of Charlie Kirk’s suspected murderer, Tyler Robinson, is a powerful example.
In 1993, I ran the terrorism prosecution of Omar Abdel Rahman (“The Blind Sheikh”) and members of his jihadist cell. They had bombed the World Trade Center at the time, and what they expected would be simultaneous bombings of New York City landmarks – the UN complex in Manhattan. Abdel Rahman himself had a special interest in fighting the US military installation.
Tyler Robinson, accused in the murder of Charlie Kirk, appears during a hearing in the fourth district court in Provo, Utah, Thursday, 11, 2025. (Rick Egan / The Salt Lake Tribune via Pool)
Naturally, some superstitions flared up. Maybe it was an inside job by the FBI – a hoax to persecute Muslims. Or maybe Saddam Hussein’s regime sent it. Perhaps the Egyptian intelligence services had a hand in it. Or – because there is no idea the conspiracy succeeds without this – maybe it was Mosad!
The difference between then and now? No social media.
Charlie Kirk Homicide: A legal expert lays out the challenges of the defense and why forensic evidence can be important
FOX News, with its emphasis to pray Instead of converting people, it was a fiery challenge to the left of the media. But that media environment still fits a culture that had grown up over decades: the news sections of network television and the New York Times, the Washington Street Journal, and the Washington Street Journal.
The result? Conspiracy theories had a hard time gaining traction. There was no immediate 24/7 flow of communications from millions of people, most of whom had no reliable sources. There were no thriving internet communities where certain people, eccentric interests were drawn – the caulrons of Concuracy theory. There was no text – and email services were still developing. No X / Twitter, No Facebook, no tiktok or blue sky. It was a different community.
Tyler Robinson, left, is a suspect in the fatal shooting of Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk. Kirk is pictured during a ceremony at Utah Valley University, where he was killed on September 10, 2025. Robinson appeared on video at his first hearing on September 16, and has not been seen since. (Utah government courts / handout, Trent Nelson / Salt Lake Tribune via Reuters.)
As a practical matter, that meant our Manhattan courthouse was the center of gravity. If you wanted to know what progress there was in the criminal investigation – if you wanted to know who the suspects were, then there should have been competitive public issues.
Suspect Charlie Kirk Arsanassin wants to breed prison clothes to show the upcoming court
That turned on its head today.
Kirk was shot and killed on September 10 at Utah Valley University. A few days later Robinson was arrested after the intervention. As often happens, the arrest led to the disclosure of official information about the investigation and the subject.
Indeed, more information had to be released than later, probably for two reasons. First of all, the emergence of not so much has met with the officials where the authorities saw the need to be optimistic, to give the public confidence that the case was strong. Second, killing Kirk is a persecution of the Empire. The Utah County District Attorney’s office is not as familiar with the limelight as Federal Anigities; They went the extra mile to show that the case was in good hands.
Charlie Kirk Assassin Support Depletion Tax Expenditure Predicted by Utah Commissioner
However, after this initial explosion of feminist information, the official sources went dark. Naturally, this was quoted by media outlets – due to the new nature of the news, there are more of them today than in the nineties. Still, that’s not surprising.
This is capital murder. American judges, at the federal and federal level, are often graduates of the Endite law schools of the US. They are often hostile to the death penalty (it is one of the biggest barriers in our country between elite and sound opinion). The DAS and the police are well aware that serious crimes are investigated more carefully than ordinary criminal prosecutions. If officials are accused of leaking information or doing anything to impinge on the employment rights of Robinson students, the death penalty and possibly the entire case could be at risk.
While the bress is pushing the court for more disclosure, we are seeing a troubling aspect of the information age.
Charlie Kirk Kirk Assassin Tyler Tyler Robinson’s Defense could cost Utah tax figures: Experts
Like anything else, knowledge hates a vacuum. In high profile cases, if our curiosity is not satisfied by the steady flow of hard information from law enforcement, defense attorneys, and the court, then the gap will be filled with media speculation, and political opinion.
I’m sure that’s why Kirk’s widow, Erika, was driven to refute the crazy talk in a stirring interview conducted by FOX News’ Harris Faulkner. The conspiracy that led to her husband’s death would appear to be unknown in September, after prosecutors described a mountain of evidence that supported the charges against Robinson. But when nothing seemed to happen in legal proceedings, the maddened and aggressive were given three months to be freed. Understandably, Mrs Kirk felt compelled to respond.
Click here for more Fox News information
The Memorial Memorial at Timpanogos Hospital is filled with “We love you, Charlie” posters, flowers and American flags. Many signs and flowers were placed at the Kirk on Utah Valley University’s Campus. (FOX News Digital / DeXre Heavey)
Hopefully the risky conference has a short shelf life. There was a regular hearing in court on Thursday, where the media access dispute was considered.
Click here to download the FOX News app
As a result, what we call a “hearing” is scheduled for mid-January. In most states, and under federal law in the United States, prosecutors must obtain a case from a Grand Jury; This requires a showing of probable cause in the case, which is sufficient for the matter to be prosecuted. However, in Utah, the situation usually continues with a preliminary hearing: A probable cause showing must be made before a court rather than a grand jury.
As a result, as we enter 2026, we may see and hear more information – authoritative information, court testimony – about Kark’s killing – about Kark’s killing – about Kark’s killing – about Kark’s killing – about Kark’s killing – about Kark’s killing – about Kark’s killing – about Kark’s killing – about Kark’s killing – about Kark’s killing – about Kark’s killing – about Kark’s killing – about killing of Kark – about the killing of Kark – about the killing of Kurkt Back in the nineties, that was the most fun we had. Today, when we have to compete with the noise of communication, authoritative information is what we need to make sense of the most important prosecutions.
Click here to read more from Andrew McCarthy
