Trial by Media and the Spectacularization of Justice: A Comparative Examination of Jury Influence and Mediated Public Opinion Models in the United States and Turkey

Authors : Serap Sarıbaş

Pages : 38-62

Doi:10.35235/uicd.1801016

View : 68 | Download : 169

Publication Date : 2025-12-31

Article Type : Research Paper

Abstract :This study investigates the phenomenon of “trial by media,” comparatively analyzing its manifestations in the United States and Turkey, and offering original insights at the intersection of communication, law, and media ethics. The scope of the research is to evaluate the visibility of justice within a framework of historical continuity, extending from Ottoman practices such as şuhûdü’l-hâl (court witnesses) and teşhir (public shaming) to modern press, television, and digital platforms. The central objective is to examine how media construct representations of perpetrators, victims, and crime, and how these representations shape the perception of judicial legitimacy. Rather than indicting the press, the study explores how representational strategies transform social understandings of legal processes and how the legitimacy of justice is constructed through public debate. Methodologically, the research employs qualitative discourse analysis, drawing on newspaper headlines, television broadcasts, and social media content. The findings indicate that in the United States, media can directly influence jury deliberations (jury influence model), whereas in Turkey, mediated publics exert symbolic pressure on judicial institutions (mediated public opinion model). The study underscores the historical continuity of justice-as-spectacle and offers original interdisciplinary contributions.
Keywords : İletişim, Medya ve Hukuk, Medyatik Yargılama, Kamuoyu ve Meşruiyet, Adaletin Seyirleşmesi

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