Media Trail: an interruption in the way of justice

 

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Media is regarded as the fourth pillar of democracy. Media plays a vital role in shaping the opinion of society and it is capable of changing the whole viewpoint through which people perceive various events. The media can be commended for starting a trend where the media plays an active role in bringing the accused to hook.

Freedom of people is widely linked with freedom of media as they should be informed of public interest. But when this freedom of expression becomes a trial in media houses outside of the court, it, unfortunately, interposes into the fair investigation and fair trial.

In the name of exposing fact, the media leads the facts and pieces of evidence by manifesting its opinions merely based on prejudices. The high profile cases always attract the attention of the media houses and the public. This gives the media houses to accrue their numbers of viewers and try to unravel new facts about the case every day.

Following this, they over consume the facts without evidence and try to establish a constructive opinion merely considering the speculations. It creates confusion about the case and the public and more specifically the witness of the case get influenced and defer from the original facts or events.

I should put an example of this. If there is a need to line up in a criminal case and before this line-up, the media houses start yelling the name of the accused and to show the picture of him or her again and again. There are plenty of chances that the recognizer may get influenced and may recognize the accused not based on his memory about events but because of the influence and the manifested acts of the media.

This type of trial in the media convicts the accused even before the actual trial happens in the court. Media puts unnecessary pressure on judiciary and investigation agencies as we have in many cases like Jessica Lal murder case and others.

The media create a series of unconscious pressures on a juror in a high-profile trial. Jurors know that they are being watched by the world. They are not only deciding for themselves, but they are making a statement for their family, co-workers, community, and society as a whole. This elevates their verdict to a level beyond the evidence. 

The media trial diffuses the right of the accused as well as the victim. The accused person faces invalid and opinion and speculation based formations in the public devastated confidence of the family and society. On the other side, the victim gets his or her right to privacy infringed and the right to actual justice as well. 

The mere conviction is not enough for justice but the conviction should be of the right person. We should not try to be conviction loving public but should try to be justice-loving citizens. Then the purpose of justice will be served.