Summary: This article explains the important change in how people gather crime information now due to social media platforms such as Facebook, Youtube, Instagram, and TikTok. The author, Amanda Wallace discusses how these platforms include a lot of public participation, which can lead to misinformation turning ideas on crime trends and race-related crime data. The article describes how social media can make it seem like there are increasing crime rates when in reality the FBI shows data of decreasing rates. Posts without context can spike feelings of fear in people by making distant crimes seem local. A study conducted by Stanford University conducted that Facebook misrepresent Black suspects which results in a misrepresentation of racial demographics in crime reporting. 

Evaluation: This is a popular article because it is published on a mainstream media source and is written for a general audience. While it is very informative it lacks the research and citations that are required for a scholarly article. 

Response: I found this article really helpful to learn about how the media affects crime opinions. It provides insightful information on social media’s role in misinformation and law enforcement. This article sparked my interest in how racial discrimination is perceived on social media and how law enforcement combats misinformation that can be found online. A question that I had while reading this article was, how can we limit the spread of misinformation on social media? 

Summary: This article discusses the “CSI Effect” which is when media programs, influence’s juror’s beliefs in a courtroom. This article explains how shows and other forms of media can lead to unrealistic demands for evidence during court. For example, some jurors may expect fingerprints, or DNA evidence in a case, when sometimes this evidence is simply unnecessary or not accessible. The article also touches on the positive side of the CSI Effect, such as an increase in interest in criminal justice, and that jurors are becoming more knowledgeable on case information. 

Evaluation: This is a popular source because it is intended for a general audience and is written in a simple and engaging manner. The article discusses trends and real-world issues and doesn’t go into any research or analysis’. 

Response: This source is very informative on how the media changes public expectations in true crime cases, which directly relates to the topic of my project. I found it really interesting how the article was able to show the negative sides and positives of the CSI Effect, which really shows the duality of this phenomenon. 

Summary: This episode discusses the murder case of Hae Min Lee and the conviction of Adnan Syed. It explains the media’s role in creating an interest in the case. The episode examines inconsistencies in the evidence of this story and the emotional impact the media had on those involved in the case. The host, Sarah Koenig tells the story like it's a puzzle in order to make the listeners think about the reliability of the investigation and trial results. A quote from this episode that really stuck with me was, “The way evidence is presented in the court of public opinion often differs starkly from courtroom proceedings, and this difference has real-world implications.” 

Evaluation: This source is a popular source, because it was intended for a general audience and is centered around investigative storytelling. Its purpose is to inform and engage audiences rather than providing a technical analysis. 

Response: I found this episode to be really interesting and it was extremely relevant to my topic. The case discussed shows the power of the media to change public opinion and its influence on legal procedures, such as retrials or appeals. I think that the way the host told the story made it really easy for me to connect to the emotional and factual twists in the case. 

Summary: Some of the effects of social media on different types of industries and human behaviors include misinformation, data privacy concerns, and can create addiction. This article from Knowledge at Wharton highlights how social media platforms have become fundamental to how billions of people access information and connect with each other. It also talks about regulation challenges, ethical concerns about consumer data use, and the psychological implications of social media like increased depression and loneliness. 

Evaluation: This is a trade source because it is published by Knowledge at Wharton which is intended for professionals in business trends and industry insights. It is not peer reviewed but it includes specific data for a professional audience. 

Response: This source is helpful because it explains how social media impacts behaviors and industries, which can be linked to how true crime is affected by social media platforms. The article discusses misinformation which is relevant to my topic on how social media influences true crime. 

Summary: This article discusses the role of social media in true crimes by using the University of Idaho as a prime example. It describes how platforms such as TikTok have had both a positive and negative impact on this situation. It was helpful how the Moscow Police Department received over 19,000 tips which resulted in an arrest, although there were many cases of false accusations and harassment that was caused by misinformation. The article explains a case of Rebecca Scotfield, who ended up filing a defamation lawsuit against a TikToker, which shows the consequences of unsupported claims. Experts such as David Schmid explain how social media can be helpful during investigations while also explaining its ability to spread harmful misinformation. 

Evaluation: This is a popular article because it is intended for a general audience of people who are interested in true crime. It uses credible sources by including statements from law enforcement and academic experts, which builds credibility. The article could have enhanced the credibility by including specific data or peer-reviewed studies about how social media affects investigations. 

Response: The article highlights the important need for rules about how people should investigate and behave on social media. Platforms like TikTok and Facebook can quickly share information to many people but they also need to set stronger rules to stop the spread of false information. People are really interested in true crime and this interest could be used for good. Instead of just guessing about cases we should create podcasts that check the facts or work together with the police. Promoting digital skills and critical thinking in users can help reduce the negative impact of false information. Finally providing more resources for victims of misinformation to seek help could reduce the harmful effects of social media rumors in important cases.

Summary: This article was written by María T. Soto-Sanfiel and Diego F. Montoya-Bermúdez discusses why some people don’t want to watch True Crime Documentaries (TCDs) in Colombia and Singapore. The study finds that although TCDs are very popular, many people avoid them because they feel upset or worried by the terrifying content. Because Singapore has a very low murder rate, viewers find it hard to relate to the violent stories that are shown in these documentaries. While Columbians live in countries with a very high rate or violence, they avoid TCDs for different reasons. They want to avoid their everyday realities and seem to not like that TCDs glamorize criminals. A quote that I found interesting from this article was, “Columbians know that these things can really happen to us,” showing how their experiences shape their thoughts on TCDs. The article concludes by suggesting that media companies should consider these local differences when televising harsh content. 

Evaluation: This article is a scholarly source because it uses research methods and educational language. It was also published in a peer reviewed journal called, “Studies in Documentary Film,” which proves its credibility. 

Response: I found this article intriguing because it discusses a topic I haven’t thought about before: why people are against watching TCDs. It explains why people from different backgrounds have different choices about what they watch. An interesting idea from this article is that people with different experiences and cultural backgrounds can change their emotional response to certain types of media. This makes me think about how other types of media that display violence could differently affect viewers based on their background. This source directly relates to my research on how the impact of crime media on its audiences. 

Summary: This paper uses three major cases from the UK: the Grenfell Tower fire, the LIBOR manipulation scandal, and the Volkswagen emissions scandal to explain how corporate crime is reported in the media. The article describes how even reliable sources can cause problems like making crimes seem like individual mistakes rather than a systemic problem. The article used a theory by Robert Entman, by analyzing four key elements: who is responsible (the perpetrator), what was the cause, who was harmed (victimization), and what the punishment should be. The results show that while some media representation is helpful, most of it fails to discuss the larger and more important issues behind corporate crime. The paper suggests that there needs to be more research on how corporate crime is portrayed in social media outlets. 

Evaluation: This article is a scholarly source because it has strong theories that are backed up with reliable sources. It is published in a peer-reviewed journal, which adds to the credibility of the article. The study takes a thorough look at the topic by combining different fields such as criminology, media studies, and political science. 

Response: I found this source informational and helpful for my research because it was about how the media can shape our understanding of corporate crime. The paper explains that many reports miss the larger picture and only focus on individual actions rather than the systems that allow these crimes to happen. I thought it was interesting how the article explains that different media sources display these cases differently, which can change how the public sees them. This brings up questions on how the media can affect accountability for these types of crimes. Because, if the larger companies aren’t held accountable for these crimes then they will continue to commit them. This article connects directly to my research and how the media portrays crime.