Perceptions of Guilt in Sensational Cases: The Influence of Media

The media has always been a major influence on society in recent decades. New forms of media have been invented and continue to influence and impact society. Media also has a major influence on many facets of society and especially perceptions of guilt in sensational cases. The media tends to bias and manipulate how people think and make decisions. Through a review of literature and the theoretical perspective of social construction of reality, a quantitative analysis of 500 undergraduate students at Texas Tech University was conducted in order to measure perceived levels of guilt in sensationalized media cases and look at factors that could bias and manipulate the decision-making process. This study found that Caucasian females have higher perceptions of guilt. Age also is statistically significant.