Media and its Influence on the Criminal Justice System

The Fargason case was much publicized throughout the state of Georgia, and the media had an immense impact on this local murder case. At this time, Charles Fargason, Teresa’s ex-husband, believed without a doubt, that Teresa would never kill their child. Shortly after believing this, Charles called for an immediate press conference. He used this media to voice his support of his wife, a suspected murderer. Surprisingly, Charles changed his mind about Teresa’s innocence and expressed to the public that he believed Teresa was responsible for Taylor’s death. Ultimately, the press conference in itself can shape people's opinions of the case. The public watches a sad father publicly admit that he believes his ex-wife killed their child. Viewers have the tendency to sympathize with one person and convict the other. The press conference sets the tone for the whole case. The media was at his convenience to relay his message to the public, therefore influencing opinions. This information and further information pertaining to the case can be found in the Macon Telegraph archives.

The media played a big role in reporting new evidence that was found in the case. While this is an important role that the news reporters have, it is also an influential tactic in how the media portrays the evidence. For example, reporters can use different words and tones in a report that can steer the viewer to a definite viewpoint. It can also be argued that the entertainment industry likes drama and controversy. If this industry can present new factual evidence in which the tone depicts drama, it will, and the viewers are sometimes sucked into the hype. If the story is not dramatic or interesting, people are not going to watch. This is why the media thrives on controversy. I am writing this paper because I was intrigued by the case, because it is a controversial one.

Almost everywhere you looked, there were news reports on press conferences and new evidence. The local people of central Georgia could even get tickets to observe the trial as an audience. This just emphasizes the point that this murder case turned into a show. Like a movie, the audience went ahead and made up their minds about the case, based on what was seen through the media. The public already made their minds up and may have perceived Teresa Fargason as the antagonist and Charles Fargason as the protagonist as if the case is that of a movie or a novel.

Ed Papazian has found that “the average household in the United States has a television turned on for almost eight hours a day” (McNeely 3). Ed Papazian has also found that a substantial amount of television being viewed by our country: “the average individual watch[es] it for approximately four hours a day” (McNeely 3). With that many hours of viewing, the media has become deeply influential in our culture. “Television penetrates almost 99 percent of the population” (McNeely 3). This can shape the opinions in our society. “ Research has suggested that a majority of people in the United States receive much of their impressions and knowledge of the criminal justice system through the media, especially through entertainment television viewing” (McNeely 3). For instance, big news channels such as CNN and Fox have reputations of shaping people’s opinions from one extreme to another. This can be compared to a news program reporting on a specific case, in which the reporters subtly force their opinions on the viewers. Most people do not have a good understanding of the criminal justice system for the reason that they do not have first-hand experience. Most citizens have never been convicted of a crime. Also, many citizens only have direct contact with the criminal justice system through jury duty. It can be argued that people suppose that they have a good understanding of the criminal justice system due to the media’s approach to presenting the news. “Most members of the population actually have few opportunities for direct interaction with the criminal justice system” (McNeely 2). The only interaction is through the media therefore, resulting in the media having much influence over the way people believe about any given issues.

The media does take part in an important role in today’s culture. It is heavily relied on because it is a great source for information. A lot of the information that we as a society retain, is from all the media outlets. The point is not to express that the media is not crucial for the society, but rather to demonstrate how the media can sometimes twist around specific aspects of cases or even politics for its own personal gain, without the consideration of the influential behaviors it holds. Is television coverage and constant updates about cases and worldly news important? Yes, it sure is, however, people are sometimes influenced unnecessarily in ways that they should not be.

Works Cited

McNeely, Connie. “Perceptions of The Criminal Justice System: Television Imagery and Public Knowledge in the United States.” Journal of Criminal Justice and Popular Culture 1070-8286(1995) 1-20. 28 Jan 2007 <http://www.albany.edu/scj/jcjpc/vol3is1/perceptions.html.>

Post, Audrey. “Slain girl’s dad believes child’s mom was involved.” The Macon Telegraph 28 September 1991, 1A.