Photojournalists’ visual framing of criminal jury trials in national U.S. digital news

Abstract

A content analysis of U.S. digital news reveals that the visual coverage of criminal jury trials mainly focuses on defendants and law enforcement officials. The U.S. digital news still often use mugshots to portray Black/African American defendants, and law enforcement officials are significantly overrepresented as White and male. In partial contrast to past news coverage, Black/African American defendants are not depicted in handcuff at the crime scene or slovenly dressed more often than defendants from other ethnic groups.