Verified Document

CSI Effect Research Paper

CSI Effect & Changes in Public Perception In the 21st century, from the average person to the media expert or professional, people are aware of the affects media has on culture. In the late 20th century, it was very popular for experts to blame certain kinds of music and certain kinds of film and television programming for the increasing acts of violence perpetuated by youth in America and around the world. Media Studies is a respected and reputed academic discipline. Media Studies is the science by which scholars and artists prove and demonstrate the variety of ways in which media affects perception. Film, television, and media in general affect the consuming public in various ways. Film and television can open audiences to new perspectives or inspire their imaginations. Film and television also fully retain the power to affect consuming audiences and other communities in a negative or unintentionally harmful ways. The television program "CSI" and thus the entire "CSI" franchise (Las Vegas, Miami, & New York City) have affected the law enforcement community in a confusing and mostly adverse way. The affect/effect that "CSI" has had on law enforcement and on audiences in general has been dubbed "The CSI Effect." This paper will discuss the CSI Effect and propose the manners in which the efficacy of the law enforcement community has changed because of it.

"Crime Scene Investigation" (CSI) has been a highly successful and popular show for over a decade. Podlas writes:

"CSI, which debuted in October 2000, is a top-rated drama on network television. Closing the 2004-05 season as the second highest watched program, it has an average audience of 26.4 million viewers. As further testament to its popularity, the program has spawned a number of spin-offs, and can now be seen on cable and in syndication." (Podlas, "Teaching to Avoid the 'CSI Effect' -- Keeping the Science...

The theme song for each of the CSI shows/spinoffs is a famous rock anthem by the classic rock band, The Who. The cinematography and editing are modern, inventive, and vibrant. The production staff on this show work hard to make the world of the CSI's interesting and "rockin'." The reader may question how this affect could be negative. The show makes science, investigation, and the legal system thrilling and adventurous. It is not often, especially in the United States of America, for one of the most watched programs on television to be centered on science, particularly forensic science. The average American audience does not have the attention span, the interest or scientific inclination, or mental capacity to understand, let alone enjoy a program primarily about science. Somehow, the talented production staff of "CSI" along with the financial backing and resources of the television station Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS), make it work. They make it work very well for a long time. Yet the affects this show has on public perception are not all positive; in fact, some of the affects are detrimental.
Podlas describes the multilayered "CSI Effect" as follows:

"The CSI Effect" has been defined in three different ways. The best-known definition states that CSI creates unreasonable expectations on the part of jurors, making it more difficult for prosecutors to obtain convictions. The second definition, which runs contrary to the first, refers to the way that CSI raises the stature of scientific evidence to virtual infallibility, thus making scientific evidence impenetrable. The final definition focuses on CSI's increasing lay interest in forensics and science. Thus, viewers who serve as jurors will be more interested in and able to follow scientific evidence. They may even…

Sources used in this document:
References:

Bergslien, Elisa. "Teaching to Avoid the 'CSI Effect' -- Keeping the Science in Forensic Science." Journal of Chemical Education, Volume 83, Number 5, 2006. Web: <http://www.JCE.DivCHED.org>

Podlas, Kimberlianne. "The CSI Effect': Exposing the Media Myth." Fordham Intellectual Property, Media, and Entertainment Law Journal, Volume 16, Issue 2, Pages 428 -- 465. University of North Carolina, Greensboro, The Berkeley Electronic Press, 2005.

Roane, Kit R. "The CSI Effect -- On TV it's all slam-dunk evidence and quick convictions. Now juries expect the same thing -- and that's a big problem." U.S. News & World Report, Web.
Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

CSI Effect
Words: 657 Length: 2 Document Type: Research Paper

CSI Effect The American justice system today is set up in such a way that no criminal can be convicted if reasonable doubt exists regarding the crime. This is particularly important when considering severe crimes such as murder or grand theft. A recent phenomenon that has created a stir in courtrooms, and especially among prosecutors, is the so-called "CSI Effect," which means that a public constantly bombarded by shows such as

CSI Effect and Changes in Public Perception
Words: 2259 Length: 7 Document Type: Essay

CSI Effect and Public Perception Forensic Science Forensic science is an umbrella term that includes a number of techniques designed to answer scientific questions within a legal environment. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries this may include the collection of trace elements from a crime scene, analysis and reconstruction of bones and/or faces, use of teeth to identify remains, crime scene analysis and one of the most popular for the

CSI Effect
Words: 2080 Length: 6 Document Type: Essay

Television and film script writers have gained from crime and courtroom proceedings for many years. The use of the courtroom as a drama channel has significantly changed in the recent years among media options. The use of the courtroom as the basic source of drama action among these media houses has increased and changed focus from sheer creative imagination to real life cases. Indeed, many courtroom dramas today are based

CSI Effect in Criminal Forensics It Has
Words: 983 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

CSI Effect in Criminal Forensics It has long been suspected that the scenes, stories and situations people are exposed to through the medium of television can eventually distort their view of reality. Phenomena such as the desensitization to violence exhibited by children who watch hours of cartoon combat daily, or the shifting sense of body image experienced by women who only see slim, attractive models on screen serve to confirm

CSI and Reality TV Effects Media Has
Words: 1057 Length: 3 Document Type: Essay

CSI and Reality TV effects Media has been used fro quite a long time to influence the perspective of the public. This was a major tool that was employed during the cold war to influence the perspective of nations towards the west with the view that those that inclined to the western countries enjoyed a relatively higher sense of freedom. It is still a large debate whether the CSI and such like

CSI, and Its Offshoots, CSI: Miami, and
Words: 1781 Length: 5 Document Type: Essay

CSI, and its offshoots, CSI: Miami, and CSI: New York are popular American television dramas. The premier of the show was in 2000, and since then, interest in forensics, forensic science, and criminal justice in general has increased noticeably. The effects are evident not only in the United States, but also in other countries. In one university in the United Kingdom, forensic science is now the number one major on

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now