As we explained yesterday, the murder case currently unfolding in South Africa has all the ingredients of a global super-story, one that has something for both the world’s staid broadsheets and its sensational tabloids. First, there’s Oscar Pistorius, the 26-year-old international sporting star who became the first double-amputee to compete in the Olympics at the London Games. (Bonus for headline writers: His Blade Runner nickname.) There’s also the victim, his girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, who was an international model and aspiring reality TV star who was also a law school graduate and an advocate against the abuse of women. (Bonus for the Internet: She was twice named to FHM’s 100 Sexiest Women in the World list). Add to that the timing of the whole thing—police were called to Pistorius’ home at 3 a.m. local time on Valentine’s Day—and clearly this story was destined for the front-pages the world over.
The anecdotal evidence offered by a quick scan of the Newseum’s front-page library this morning suggests that, so far at least, it’s living up to that billing. To be fair, there’s still plenty of places where the story didn’t crack the front-page (it seems to have the smallest presence in Asia and South America) but it nonetheless is splashed across several continents, a rare feat for what in reality would be an all-too-common story in the African nation if it weren’t for the combination of fame, achievement and beauty at play in this particular case. (South Africa has the second highest rate of shooting deaths in the world, behind only Colombia, and one of the world’s highest murder rates, with nearly 50 people killed each day in a nation of roughly 50 million.)
Argentina:
Australia:
Belgium:
Canada:
Czech Republic:
Namibia:
Spain:
Sweden:
United Kingdom:
South Africa:
New Zealand:
Italy:
United States:
And, um, this one:
(Screenshots via the Newseum, which has plenty more for you to look at here. You can also click on each cover for a more detailed look.)
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