To watch or not to watch
Public weigh in on broadcast of Oscar Pistorius' trial.
The trial of the decade is about to unfold on Monday, 3 March in South Africa, and for the first time in South African history, parts of it is to be televised live.
Oscar Pistorius is finally set to stand trial for the murder of his model girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp last year on Valentine’s Day.
Judge President Dustan Mlambo announced in the North Gauteng High Court yesterday that three cameras, which will be remotely operated from another room, can be set up in the court to transmit certain proceedings live. Other extracts can be recorded for later transmission.
Mediahouses Primedia and Multichoice have been permitted to broadcast the opening arguments, expert and witness testimonies, unless they are objected to. The testimonies of the accused and his witnesses are to be excluded from broadcasts, however. Should sentencing take place, this will not be televised live either.
What effect the media will have on the trial, remains to be seen.
The fact that Pistorius garners so much international attention, brings to mind a case study of a similar trial which took place in the United States in 1994-1995.
During the O. J. Simpson trial, the media was severely criticised for their coverage, yet the international audience watched with bated breath.
This affected the behaviour of the jurors, witnesses, lawyers, and the judge. And possibly the outcome of the trail too.
