The Media’s Impact on Legal Proceedings
In light of the recent trial of Gerard Baden-Clay, Associate Professor John Anderson addressed how media coverage impacts trial proceedings and outcomes in a radio interview by Matthew Dryden in late July.
The trial of Gerard Baden-Clay captivated the nation. Every day, hundreds of people queued up to get into the Public Gallery of the Supreme Court in Brisbane, and the trial was given blanket coverage by the major TV networks.
Associate Professor Anderson discusses how the prevalence of social media and the internet has made enforcing fair trials increasingly difficult and points out the emergence of the "Googling juror". Media coverage has even been used as grounds for arguing the fairness of trials or mitigating factors in sentencing by defence council. Changes in the way media is consumed have reduced confidence that jurors are separating themselves from the media or public opinion of cases.
Listen to the interview in its entirety here.
Contact
- Associate Professor John Anderson
- Phone: (02) 4921 7099
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