NCJ Number
139382
Journal
Media Studies Journal Volume: 6 Issue: 1 Dated: (Winter 1992), 87-94
Date Published
1992
Length
8 pages
Annotation
According to the former trial judge who wrote this article, most court reporters have little expertise in the law and provide only inaccurate and superficial coverage of the judiciary.
Abstract
The relationship between judges and the media is not improved by the basic dislike and distrust judges hold toward reporters, the different perspectives judges and journalists have of the media's role in covering the criminal justice system, and the lack of rules to govern the courts' media relations. This author believes the term "feeding frenzy" accurately portrays the relationships between the public, the media, and the criminal justice system as the public demands more detailed information, lurid stories, and gruesome descriptions. A recent study estimated that 60 percent of news coverage is devoted to crime-related stories and that these stories increasingly emphasize the seamier aspects of the criminal justice system. Popular media sensationalize courtroom procedures, although some sources, including National Public Radio, have improved their coverage of the courts. A primary problem with this increased attention are the stereotyped portrayals of judges and lawyers in the entertainment media. The author maintains that attorneys and judges must work to demystify the system, and the news media should focus on actual court coverage.