I've never really understood how people can get so fascinated by trials, either. But yeah, it must have something to do with how some trials allow everyone to project their own views and prejudices by siding with one side or the other and demonizing the other.
Which is not to say that I don't have a gut reaction myself, just that it's hardly a topic on which it's important enough to have a balanced opinion to make it worth my while to study it, especially when most spectators use it as a proxy for other debates and views anyway.
Whether to blame the media for the biased sensationalist rags they have turned into is always something of a chicken and egg discussion, but since some media manage to maintain higher standards, I'd say some amount of blame is probably justified.