Pre-time skip

The ground importance of the media is highlighted by Light himself, who explains to Ryuk the advantages of living in the 21st century:

Light: The world today contains many conveniences. The television, which airs world news twenty-four hours a day. The internet, which enables you to search for any kind of information. [volume 1, chapter 1, page 46]

Aside from being an helpful tool, Light implicitly makes the media a part of his plan. Since he uses the same killing method (heart attacks) to give away that there is someone who set out to punish criminals, with all the various communication means it doesn’t take long before news about a mysterious killer appear. Indeed in a matter of days some people have already began to praise Kira, so the killer has been nicknamed, on various websites:

Light: If you search for “Kira,” you get tons more sites like these. Even though the media still refers to it as “the strange and frequent death of criminals.” […] But here is where their heart really lies [Light points to his PC screen]. People are too afraid to admit that I exist in public. But on the internet, “Kira” is everywhere. [volume 1, chapter 2, pages 13-14]

The next episode featuring a prominent presence of the media is the broadcast made by L to gain information on Kira. Not a very long time after, L exploits the media again in order to put more pressure on Kira. During the period the Yagami and Satamura families are under surveillance he prepares a second fake broadcast announcing that 1500 investigators have been sent to Japan to assist in the capture of Kira. If the first time L’s trick worked because Light didn’t see it coming, the second time Light understood that L wanted to notice his reactions to the news so he acted in a way not to arise suspicions.

Around the time Light joins L’s team, the police stops to give journalists any kind of information about the investigation. One TV station in particular, Sakura TV, is so eager to provide news about L and Kira that Hitoshi Demegawa, the network director, orders to make things up if necessary. A few days later a series of tapes, prepared by the another Death Note owner, Misa Amane, are sent to Sakura TV. While Misa uses the TV station to establish a contact with Kira, L uses the same channel to answer her messages (making Light pose as Kira) with the hope to capture both killers. Following Misa’s meeting with Light, he makes her send one final message from which L understands that the second Kira successfully contacted the first Kira.

Even though L is worried for having two killers around, Misa’s inability to follow Light’s directions soon results in her arrest and Light has to elaborate a complex plan to set both him and Misa free. During the first phase of their detention the focus is all around them, but after the identity of the third Kira, Kyosuke Higuchi, is discovered, the investigation decides to put to good use the Kira Special, a pro-Kira show which airs on Sakura TV. When the journalist says that at the end of the interview Kira’s name will be revealed, Higuchi loses his nerve and once he is cornered by the police, he lets slip the truth about the Death Note.

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