Media and criminal justice: the impact of media influence and its challenges for impartiality in judicial proceedings and Jury Trials.

Abstract

This article addresses the problem of the growing media influence in contemporary society, amplified by the internet, and how the pursuit of sensationalism and profit frequently compromises the veracity of facts. The main objective is to analyze the profound connection between the media and the criminal justice system, detailing how the media construction of reality can distort information, foster prejudgments, and undermine the presumption of innocence, with a special focus on the impartiality of the Jury Court. Methodologically, through bibliographic research, the study explores and analyzes how the media has become a central force in shaping public opinion and how this dynamic impacts the effectiveness of the criminal process. It is concluded that the sensationalist action of the media, by promoting the Spectacle Criminal Process and feeding media criminal populism, is detrimental to the full defense of the accused and to the legitimacy of judicial institutions, compromising the jurors' ability to act with rationality and impartiality.