Role of the Media in Criminal Justice Issues - Keynote Address at the 2010 NIJ Conference

• NCJ Number: 234682
• Date Published: June 2010
• Author(s): Paula Zhan
• Length: 5 pages
• Agencies: NIJ
• Publication Type: Presentation; Issue Overview; Conference Material

Annotation

This video and its transcript cover the keynote address by Paula Zahn at the 2010 National Institute of Justice (NIJ) Conference, which focuses on the role of the media in bringing criminal justice issues to the public's attention.

Abstract

At the time of this keynote address, Paul Zahn was the executive producer of her own program called "On the Case with Paula Zahn Investigation Discovery," which examined cases of violence by interviewing those involved. In her keynote address, attention is given to cases of violence against women, particularly domestic abuse, dating violence, and sexual assault. Ms. Zhan views the media's role in criminal justice issues as giving voice to crime victims in sharing their stories and the impact of specific types of crime on their lives; scrutinizing laws for loopholes that allow criminals to escape accountability and restraint; calling attention to insufficient funding for vital criminal justice programs and serious investigative mistakes; and educating the public about the need for improved victim services.