Wtf's up with labeling mikus a predator?

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/storydisplay.cfm?storyID=2998780&thesection=news&thesubsection=general

While its technically correct; hes no more a predator than a rat or hyena - opportunistic, not a lion or some other powerful creature that the word predator invokes. He doesnt deserve a powerful label like that, the press should be making him out to what he is, a lame looser who raped and killed a defenceless girl.

pred·a·tor Pronunciation Key (prd-tr, -tôr)
n.
An organism that lives by preying on other organisms.
One that victimizes, plunders, or destroys, especially for one's own gain.

op·por·tun·ist Pronunciation Key (pr-tnst, -ty-)
n.
One who takes advantage of any opportunity to achieve an end, often with no regard for principles or consequences.

Opportunist is a much better term to describe Mikus. The word 'predator' is used by the media to add dramatic affect...

Well, New Zealands corrupt media wanted to sell more newspapers, and have more people watch their television shows... That's why he's a 'predator' -

Certainly don't get me wrong, he's a horrible horrible person and I certainly hope he spends the rest of his life in jail, but all that the media-applied labels are going to do is make weasely people who produce newspapers money.

The problem with our media is not that they are corrupt it's that they are torn between providing a news service as well as some entertainment value, even our largest city can't sustain seperate tabloid daily papers as well as a seperate strictly "news" type paper, hence we get the herald which really is just a crossover. Even our TV news is tailored towards entertainment content, blame it on our small population base not the media owners.

And remember we have freedom of speech here, these guys are just putting forward their version, wether they act as puppets of someone else or not doesn't really matter (and o'reilly doesn't)the fact is they do it because the want to and like it.

Back to the topic, i agree oportunist more aptley decribes him, hopefully he is forgotten about very quickly by the general public but i hope that experts in behavioural psychology learn something from him to prevent it happening again in other people.

Lesson: Dont let someone with half as many sexually related convictions as he has out into society. Hopefully the fear of getting caught (after the near miss) prevented him from any other criminal acts and any more victims.

60 convictions and still free.. i understand he was a victim himself but what was he doing still without supervision at the very least.

Very true bob. If he is actually waiting and planning his attacks, then predator is appropriate. If he just took oppurtunities that were in front of him then the term isn't appropriate.

I choose to blame it on media bosses anyway - The Dominion and Evening Post in Wellington were able to provide news without putting the fantastical spin on every story, and the managed to entertain as well - The Dominion Post does not, and the whole idea behind The Dominion Post was to sell more newspapers.