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Trial by Social Media: How Do You Find the Jury, Guilty or Not Guilty?

Trial by Social Media: How Do You Find the Jury, Guilty or Not Guilty?

Jacqui Taylor, Gemma Tarrant
Copyright: © 2022 |Pages: 13
ISBN13: 9781668463079|ISBN10: 1668463075|EISBN13: 9781668463086
DOI: 10.4018/978-1-6684-6307-9.ch026
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MLA

Taylor, Jacqui, and Gemma Tarrant. "Trial by Social Media: How Do You Find the Jury, Guilty or Not Guilty?." Research Anthology on Usage, Identity, and Impact of Social Media on Society and Culture, edited by Information Resources Management Association, IGI Global, 2022, pp. 515-527. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-6684-6307-9.ch026

APA

Taylor, J. & Tarrant, G. (2022). Trial by Social Media: How Do You Find the Jury, Guilty or Not Guilty?. In I. Management Association (Ed.), Research Anthology on Usage, Identity, and Impact of Social Media on Society and Culture (pp. 515-527). IGI Global. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-6684-6307-9.ch026

Chicago

Taylor, Jacqui, and Gemma Tarrant. "Trial by Social Media: How Do You Find the Jury, Guilty or Not Guilty?." In Research Anthology on Usage, Identity, and Impact of Social Media on Society and Culture, edited by Information Resources Management Association, 515-527. Hershey, PA: IGI Global, 2022. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-6684-6307-9.ch026

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Abstract

Social media makes it easier than ever to access information and opinions associated with criminal proceedings and viewing or discussing these pre-trial could reduce juror impartiality. This study explored whether viewing social media comments influenced mock juror verdicts. Seventy-two participants formed 12 six-person ‘mock juries'. All participants received information regarding a murder trial. Nine groups were exposed to social media comments, manipulated to be negative, positive or neutral towards the defendant. The remaining three groups only received trial information (control condition). Results showed that prior to group discussion, exposure to negatively-biased comments significantly increased the number of guilty verdicts, however these effects disappeared after group discussion. Therefore, although jurors may be unable to remain impartial before a trial, jury discussion can remove these prejudices, supporting previous group research. Further research is suggested where participants interact actively with social media, rather than passively viewing comments.

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