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 in Forensic Science," Page 432)

Audiences enjoy the program for several reasons.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….....