The dissemination and popularisation of surveillance technologies : five case studies of criminal cases

Abstract

Mediatised criminal cases generate privileged opportunities for the public to analyse the criminal justice system. However, these cases are seldom representative of routine criminal investigations or judicial proceedings. The inquisitorial characteristics of some justice systems often clash with the adversarial narratives of the media. The media contribute to the collective production of symbols and exercise influence on the representations of individuals, particularly on subjects that are more distant from their daily experiences and knowledge. Previous studies about the social construction of representations about forensic science indicate that some of the media’s discourses about criminal cases reveal exaggerated beliefs and expectations that science and technology will provide rapid and definitive answers that will lead to their solution. Through the discussion of the selection of five mediatised criminal cases in the context of a doctoral project to be developed in Portugal, I will address some of the impacts that the use of forensic science had in their resolution, while reflecting on the media’s cultural framework of reference in their coverage. I argue that the media’s construction of glorified images of some surveillance technologies as crime fighting technologies might facilitate the introduction and deepening of surveillance.