Television Courtroom Broadcasting Effects: The Empirical Research and the Supreme Court Challenge

by Paul Lambert

Court and policy makers have increasingly had to deal with--and sometimes even embrace--technology, from podcasts to the Internet. Televised courtroom broadcasting especially remains an issue. The debate surrounding the US Supreme Court and federal courts, as well as the great disparity between different forms of television courtroom broadcasting, rages on. What are the effects of television courtroom broadcasting? Does research support the arguments for or against? Despite three Supreme Court cases on television courtroom broadcasting, the common thread between the cases has not been highlighted. The Supreme Court in these cases maintains a common theme: there is not a sufficient body of research on the effects of televising courtroom proceedings to resolve the debate in a confident manner.

"the indispensible read for everyone interested in the topic"
Professor Malcolm M Feeley, University of California Berkeley

"the most comprehensive research-based assessment of the pros and cons of television courtroom broadcasting available on the market today ... a totally objective assessment of the evidence to date"
Professor Duncan Bloy, Cardiff University, author Hadwin and Bloy: Law and the Media

"a new, interesting and useful perspective to the discussion and debate"
Eric P Robinson

"An essential read for anyone interested in justice and the media in the twenty-first century"
Dr Glen Creeber, Aberystwyth University, author The Television Genre Book

516 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 16, 2003

About the author

Lawyer, Adjunct Lecturer, Writer