The Influence of Media and Media Frenzy on Law and Order and High-Profile Trials in U.S. History
Abstract
Lights, Camera, Arraignment: How Media Turned Trials Into Prime-Time Drama
From the moment newspapers learned they could boost sales by printing headlines like “Monster on Trial!”, the American legal system began moonlighting as the nation's favorite reality show. Fast-forward to today, and we’ve got Twitter threads dissecting body language, docuseries adding ominous music to depositions, and Reddit users theorizing plot twists in real time—forget Law & Order, the actual courtroom has become the set.
This paper plunges into the swirling vortex where media meets justice, exploring how coverage of high-profile trials—like O.J. Simpson’s theatrics, the Menendez brothers’ televised saga, and Amanda Knox’s global notoriety—has not just reflected but refracted public perceptions of guilt, innocence, and judicial fairness. From 19th-century sensationalism to modern media frenzies, we’ll unpack how the press has been both an eye on the courtroom and a hand on the scale.
So grab your popcorn (and perhaps your copy of the Sixth Amendment), because what happens in court doesn’t always stay in court—it might just trend by lunchtime.