Desiree Bascomb- Final

My final project explores the impact the media and mass communication has had on the public's perspective of the death penalty.

The media has always had a major impact on society, and the content we consume shapes our perspectives. This research paper analyzes what specific aspects of the capital punishment have been able to sway public opinion, shows how views of the death penalty have changed in the last 40 years and; explores movies and other forms of communication that have been able to impact us wholly. 

“The idea of flaws in the system, of innocent people being on death row, of the wrong people possibly being executed, has transformed the debate. In 1996, thirty stories appeared in the New York Times concerning capital punishment; the bulk of these reported opinions, news, or events leading toward the application of the death penalty. In 2000, 235 stories appeared, and the overwhelming majority of them were highly critical of capital punishment. In just a few short years, the issue was reframed to focus on errors, mistakes, and the possibility of executing the wrong person.”[1]

Capital punishment has many inherent issues as far as how it is distributed, execution methods and wrongful convictions.

"There are numerous issues with capital punishment that have been displayed through different forms of media. There have been countless examples of wrongful convictions, the death penalty is inherently prejudice, racially and ethnically inconsistent, there have been executions that have failed causing painful and prolonged deaths which violates the eighth amendment of the United States constitution. All of these factors that have been exposed though film, writing and other mediums of media have been able to shape perception and ultimately change how we as a nation view capital punishment." 

 Here is a link to my blog it is published on: https://inquisitiveoptimist.wordpress.com/2016/12/08/capital-punishment-in-the-media/

Works Cited:

• "The Role and Influence of Mass Media." The Role and Influence of Mass Media. Accessed December 06, 2016. https://www.cliffsnotes.com/study-guides/sociology/contemporary-mass-media/the-role-and-influence-of-mass-media. 

• Baumgartner, Frank R., Suzanna L. De Boef, and Amber E. Boydstun. "The Death Penalty in America." The Decline of the Death Penalty and the Discovery of Innocence: 23-48. doi:10.1017/cbo9780511790638.002.

• Gallup, Inc. "Death Penalty." Gallup.com. 2016. Accessed December 06, 2016. http://www.gallup.com/poll/1606/death-penalty.aspx. 

• Number of Executions by State and Region Since 1976." Number of Executions by State and Region Since 1976 | Death Penalty Information Center. Accessed December 06, 2016. http://www.deathpenaltyinfo.org/number-executions-state-and-region-1976. 

• "10 Best Death Penalty Movies." ScreenJunkies. Accessed December 07, 2016. http://www.screenjunkies.com/movies/genres-movies/drama/10-best-death-penalty-movies/.