Television is Selective Attention

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Federal courts in the U.S. do not allow television cameras for a reason. The courtroom is a workplace, to determine who is aggrieved, what happened where and when, what law was broken and determine punishment. It is not an entertainment arena. Television is entertainment. Besides, even if camers are permitted for Trump’s trials, it will not increase the public’s understanding of the legal system.

Why? The court room is like a foreign country. It has its own language understood by legal natives, its own customs and tradition and weapons (the gavel). There’s a chunk of time dedicated to procedure and viewers will find it boring, should Trump’s trials be televised. That’s why crime or reporters that cover courts for their networks, are so important. They sift for us.

They give us the main points: what attorneys said, what prosecutors said, not the ceremonial court procedures. Sometimes, judges also call these two adversaries for some private tongue-lashing. What happens if television cameras are running? Boredom, so we change the channel, never to return. We see it every NBA season. If our team is losing, we walk out the stadium when there’s a minute left. We forget that a lot can happen in 60 seconds.

A televised Trump trial will be the same: entertainment and we will withdraw our attention, if entertainment turns to boredom. Television has another disadvantage. It’s visual. We don’t listen, really listen like radio. We concentrate on other things, such as the direction of Trump’s hair east or west, his menacing scowl and what his lawyer is wearing.  

Television cameras will be a distraction in federal and appeals court because they’ve come to entertain, not educate about the product. Which is? Law.

Nonqaba waka Msimang

Executive Blogger

 

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