Media Exposure Within the Court Room

People rely on the judicial system to provide a sense of justice. The press relies on interesting stories to uphold their ratings. Imagine including the press within the confines of a court case. With an ear against the walls, delicate details of the case are now accessible to the public. With the help of the media, one gains an insight into both lives of the alleged victim and the one standing accused. People can appreciate transparency, especially coming from a high-profile court case. Yet, there are various elements that can bring more harm than good to any case with press exposure. The type of problems that can occur from having the press present in a courts hearing vary. It would be difficult to locate people for jury duty who had not already gained knowledge of the case. In addition, a high-profile case exposed through the media can auto-populate bias opinions before ever knowing the facts. Disruption can occur where court venues must be moved across state lines just to assure that locals are fresh to the case. Even more upsetting would be the need to have to prolong the court date if deemed necessary. (Schmalleger, n.d.) It would be a hopeful assurance that the public would lose interest so the case can move forward. Pressure from a public outcry for swift justice would not be good for any case. The families involved would potentially have an even more difficult time in public I do not agree with having the presence of media during a court case. It could cause more damage to the victim long term. Therefore, it is better to protect all parties involved by keeping the press in the newsroom and not in the court venues. This would decrease the heightened chance of important details getting disclosed to the public causing disruption in the case itself. Though I do think that the individual who goes in and draws pictures during an active hearing is neat. That is where I would draw the line in exposing any court hearing as it progresses to the public eye. References: Schmalleger, F. Criminal Justice Today (15th ed.). Pearson. Metheny, A. (2021). Media Exposure Within the Court Room. Indianapolis.

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