The issue of whether or not to allow television coverage of court proceedings is indeed an undeniable paradox. On one hand, we have a legal tradition and constitutional right to a public trial and the public, so spread out and so large can only really be reached by broadcast media which seems to justify the use of televisions and other broadcast equipment in the court rooms. On the other hand, there is the very real problem of jeopardizing the health and well being of jurors, witnesses and other players in the court. And, there is the lesser, but very real, problem that televisions in the court can make celebrities out of the criminals (remember the Menendez brothers and OJ?) who can then turn around and profit from their crimes once again. It is the purpose of this paper to explore the various angles on this issue and to help develop a concept of media coverage that allows for both open access to the proceedings of our government and the continued privacy or secrecy necessary to protect the innocent. 4-pages, bibliography lists 8 sources.
