Figure 15 (Nicholson, 2012). This is a crash course of forensic provided the references and at the bottom of the info-graphic
Now, I have given you the definition of the CSI Effect. I have provided some background on the crisis. I have given some primary sources to look at that were provided by the Times Magazine Corpus. I have given you my analysis of those primary sources. I have provided my own analysis on secondary sources. I have given my opinion on the CSI Effect. I backed my opinion up with multiple professionals, but there are still people who don’t think that the CSI Effect exists. Arun Rath wrote an article on the CSI Effect influencing courtrooms. He led an interview with Anthony Zuiker, the creator of the CSI franchise, who says “making amends for television is part of his job” (2011).
Our job really is to make great television, first and foremost. And so, we have to, quote, ‘sex it up,’” Zuiker says. “I think Americans know that DNA doesn’t come back in 20 minutes. I think Americans know that there’s not some magical computer that you press and the guy’s face pops up and where he lives. You think America knows that the time sheets when you’re doing one hour of television have to be fudged a bit. Americans know that. They’re smart (Rath, 2011).
This belief is only a credible opinion because Zuiker is trying to make money. His goal is to make the most popular television show that he can. He is not trying to educate the masses. This opinion is valid. He has faith that Americans watch his show as a source of entertainment instead of education.
In response to the types of evidence that were mentioned in this website, I have found an info-graphic that gives a small crash course on forensic science and the types of evidence that is commonly misunderstood. It is provided here (Figure 15).
I have provided you with text mines of the following information: Scientific Evidence, DNA Evidence, DNA, Fingerprint Evidence, Fingerprints, Ballistic Evidence, Ballistics, and CSI. It is this info I decided to use as a primary source. Figure 15 is a nice quick cheat sheet on how lifting fingerprints actually happens. Actual Crime Scene Investigators can give a range of when time of death was based on the temperature and the rigidness of the body. There are many things that are present on this info-graphic and it explains it well enough.
This is all evident of the CSI Effect and the fact that if it continues to affect people eventually Americans will eventually have less of an accurate understanding as to what happens in the criminal justice system or its purpose. It is this that will cause a decline in the accuracy of our American legal system.
Figure 16. This is a bar chart of my findings through my research of the effect of CSI on the language we use since the shows beginning in 2000. This graph was created using Microsoft Excel.
Bar Chart of the Comparison between the 1990′s and the 2000′s in my Text Mines
Ex: Text Mine- 1990′s/2000′s
1.CSI 0.72/12.76
2. Ballistics- 0.72/2.18
3. Ballistic Evidence- 0/0.16
4. Fingerprints- 4.21/5.29
5. Fingerprint Evidence- 0/0.16
6. DNA- 44.27/55.7
7. DNA Evidence- 6.47/19.6
8. Scientific Evidence- 2.05/2.49
I was right. I was at least mostly right. My predictions were all correct. I expected to always see a jump in the usage of the word in the 2000′s. I can predict that phenomena to the creation of CSI, but I also may not know what the reason is for the jump. There is something there. I may not be able to answer that within the scope of my project, but there is some reason why all 8 words or phrases jump drastically in the new millennium. I would like to attribute this jump to the CSI Effect, but I may be wrong. Check with any of my secondary sources and they may agree with me. I am not the only person who sees this. Correlation does not equal causation, but there is a correlation that is clearly seen. Also, as an aesthetic gift, I have provided a visual above as well as here.
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