This module aims to raise student awareness and understanding of the types of and nature of presentation of information about forensic science in the media. “Media” being defined as newspapers, television, radio, and the social media outputs such as Facebook and Twitter as examples. Students will consider the cultural aspects and social anthropological aspects and drivers of what makes forensic science such a media fascination to the public. It will consider how different stakeholders present and use the information to different outcomes and how it can affect societal expectations of the Criminal Justice system. Students will be introduced to key aspects of writing and presentation styles and how they can sensationalise real-world natural science used in a forensic context. It will develop students’ skills in manipulating scientific information for public engagement and dissemination is such a sway as to be interesting to the reader whilst maintaining its integrity of value as a factual science.

There will be an essay on the media literature reporting on the death of Stephen Lawrence in 1993 allowing a critical appraisal of the nature, style, accuracy and presentation of the information in the general media (newspapers, television, radio in comparison to formal inquiries such as the Macpherson inquiry Report.

A preselected television episode portraying forensic material used in the strayline will be evaluated for the accuracy, value and probative use to better understand possible misrepresentations or misunderstandings of science portrayed in the media.

The teaching strategies will employ a range of methods, including lectures, presentations, tutorials, interactive workshops and peer group research and discussion which will allow students to share ideas and will encourage reflection, evaluation and analysis. Students will be encouraged to engage with range of learning technologies including the use of Blackboard.

1. Understand and critically evaluate the content of a variety of media literature (newspapers, internet, television, radio) for the factual accuracy of the science presented

2. Consider how the same information in any one specific example is presented to offer potentially different outcomes in a Criminal Justice setting.

3. Evaluate the impact of organisations and agencies that monitor and define the boundaries of good reporting and the effect they have upon the use of forensic information in the media.

Access to the web and to the Box of Broadcasts

Genge, N., 2007. The Forensic Casebook. London: Ebury Press.
Saferstein, R., 2017. Criminalistics. 12th ed., Pearson.
Steenberg, L., 2013. Forensic Science In Contemporary American Popular Culture. New York: Routledge.

None

This module aims to raise your awareness and understanding of the types of and nature of presentation of information about forensic science in the media. “Media” being defined as newspapers, television, radio, and the social media outputs such as Facebook and Twitter. You will consider the cultural aspects and social anthropological aspects as well as the drivers of what makes forensic science such a media fascination to the public. It will consider how different stakeholders present and use the information to different outcomes and how it can affect societal expectations of the Criminal Justice system.