10 People Whose Lives Were Completely Ruined By The Media Free media is a fundamental characteristic of an open society. Without freedom of speech, all other freedoms tend to wither and die. But there is another side to the coin: The media is made up of people, and people make mistakes. In some cases, those mistakes include accusing innocents of the most heinous crimes, subjecting them to trials of public opinion alongside those taking place in courthouses. The influence of the misguided media can ruin an innocent person’s life, put them in jail, or even kill them. 10Robert Murat Life was good for this British property consultant. He lived comfortably in southern Portugal, enjoying his work, the mild climate, decent prices, and delicious food. Then, the story about the disappearance of little Madeleine McCann swept the globe, and the notoriously sensationalistic English tabloids smelled blood—Murat’s, to be precise.