Csi Effect

In order to accurately depict how the CSI Effect strongly influences our society’s view on crime and courtroom proceedings, I will be comparing different CSI episodes to those methods and theories which apply. Throughout the paper, I will be explaining how CSI has shaped peoples’ minds in believing false claims and investigation beliefs. Watching and comparing episodes of CSI to the CSI Effect will be a prime reference in explaining how the media is placing a spin on CSI television shows. According to the Mean World Syndrome, heavy television viewers tend to be more fearful about society and crime which in turn makes them take any TV show seriously that depicts crime. Since television is the leisure activity in America, it has brought about a radical change in the way American children grow up and view society. Impacting views from the media are upheld according to the substitution thesis and resonance thesis. In the substitution thesis, media messages substitute for lack of a personal experience. While in the resonance thesis, media messages reinforce personal experience. An objective of these theories is that people have both a fear and fascination about crime which is partly shaped by the media. The media can sensitize issues and help define crime for the public in a more layman way. The media can both amplify deviance and create moral panic is increasingly common in postmodern society. The media is selective in whom and how it treats offenders and victims of moral panics. This theory objective then leads into Stan Cohen and moral panics. The CSI Effect refers to a supposed impact of the popular CBS crime drama CSI: Crime Scene Investigation. This TV trend increases the expectations of victims’ and jury members’ concerning forensic evidence and the level of crime scene investigation. CSI creates unreasonable expectations on the part of jurors, making it more difficult for prosecutors to obtain convictions. After watching a great number of CSI episodes, it