Effect of Media Bias on Jury Decision Making

Indianapolis, IN

There is concern that exposure to media coverage may have profound influences on jury decision making in a court of law. Prior research has found that jurors exposed to pre-trial media are significantly more likely to find the defendant guilty. This study examined whether it was the slant of pre-trial exposure that determines this effect. This study has two independent variables. The first independent variable was the type of information the participant read before reading the case summary, whether pro-prosecution, pro-defense, or a simple statement of accusation. Then the participants read a case summary and were asked the likelihood that the defendant was guilty. The other independent variable was that some participants were asked the likelihood the defendant was guilty between the pretrial information and the trial summary as well as after the trial summary. It is hypothesized that participant's responses will match the style of exposure they were initially presented with.