Media Influence in the Courtroom
Tahir Williams
Media Influence in the Court Room 5/04/12
A person foreign to America may typically be intrigued by the severity of its discord concerning the justice system and media coverage (Resta, 2008, p.31). That person may also wonder why criminal trials receive the amount of coverage that networks dedicate to them. Court trials receive media scrutiny for several reasons, one of them being to ensure the public that the criminal justice system remains effective (Resta, 2008, p.31). If the court case surrounds a celebrity, or sex and drugs is involved, the public tends to be more interested in the outcome. The O.J. Simpson trial is an example of how the American people can become obsessed with the proceedings of a criminal trial. The trial was also an illustration of the how difficult it is to balance both The First Amendment right to free press, and the Sixth Amendment right to a fair trial (Resta, 2008, p.31). While the media glamorizes major court cases by dedicating countless hours of coverage to criminal trials, it does not change the fact that the jury determines the outcome of the case. Throughout history the American people have relied on the media to inform them about the proceedings of major criminal trials. In the early as 1800’s, local newspapers covered the major criminal court cases from that century. The Aaron Burr treason trial in 1807, was the first foremost court trial to deal with the issue of media pressure in a legal court case (Mcguire and Ramsey, 2000, p 70). The indictment charged Aaron Burr with two counts of treason, and caused a public feud between him and President Thomas Jefferson that sparked the media’s attention. In agreement with the First Amendment right of freedom of the press, the reporters for the newspapers accounted the contentions, of both the prosecution and the defendant’s attorneys (McGuire and Ramsey, 2000, p. 70).
Media Influence in the Court Room 5/04/12
A person foreign to America may typically be intrigued by the severity of its discord concerning the justice system and media coverage (Resta, 2008, p.31). That person may also wonder why criminal trials receive the amount of coverage that networks dedicate to them. Court trials receive media scrutiny for several reasons, one of them being to ensure the public that the criminal justice system remains effective (Resta, 2008, p.31). If the court case surrounds a celebrity, or sex and drugs is involved, the public tends to be more interested in the outcome. The O.J. Simpson trial is an example of how the American people can become obsessed with the proceedings of a criminal trial. The trial was also an illustration of the how difficult it is to balance both The First Amendment right to free press, and the Sixth Amendment right to a fair trial (Resta, 2008, p.31). While the media glamorizes major court cases by dedicating countless hours of coverage to criminal trials, it does not change the fact that the jury determines the outcome of the case. Throughout history the American people have relied on the media to inform them about the proceedings of major criminal trials. In the early as 1800’s, local newspapers covered the major criminal court cases from that century. The Aaron Burr treason trial in 1807, was the first foremost court trial to deal with the issue of media pressure in a legal court case (Mcguire and Ramsey, 2000, p 70). The indictment charged Aaron Burr with two counts of treason, and caused a public feud between him and President Thomas Jefferson that sparked the media’s attention. In agreement with the First Amendment right of freedom of the press, the reporters for the newspapers accounted the contentions, of both the prosecution and the defendant’s attorneys (McGuire and Ramsey, 2000, p. 70).
References: Fox, R. L., Steiger, T. L., Van Sickle, R. W., (2007). Tabloid Justice: Criminal Justice in an age of Media Frenzy (2nded.). Boulder, CO: Lynne Rienner. McGuire, K., Ramsey, G., (2000). Litigation Publicity: Courtroom Drama or Headline News? Communications and the Law, 22(3), 69-74. Retrieved December 27, 2008, from EBSCOhost database. Resta, G., (2008). Trying Cases in the Media: a Comparative Review. Law and Contemporary Problems, 71(4), 31-38. Retrieved December 28, 2008, from Gale PowerSearch database.