Social Media and the Courts: A New Frontier

There have been more “trials of the century” than we have had centuries. This seminar explores why trials have been big news for decades, but also how profoundly coverage of those trials has changed with the digital revolution in communications - and what lawyers need to know about it.

• A brief history of high-profile media coverage of trials – and the sudden, recent change in how the coverage works
• How and why social media are now crucial for journalists and why you must understand “iterative reporting”
• Social media’s impact on jurors and court rulings
• The scarcity of research on how social media and digital journalism impact witnesses and trials overall
• Pros and cons of social media and digital journalism in trial coverage