MEDIA REPRESENTATION : EYEWITNESS TESTIMONIES

Media representation refers to the ways in which the media portrays particular groups, communities, ideas, experiences or topics from a particular ideological or value perspective. However, these representations are not always accurate. There are some pros and cons of media representation. If the media representation is strong and positive then it can help in fighting and breaking down the stereotypes which are detrimental to people and limiting to society. On the other hand, when people, communities or groups of people are depicted in a negative light by the media then it adversely affects the way others see them, as well as the way they see themselves. Researchers have studied and found out that portrayal in the mass media impacts the people's perception towards victims, criminals, and law enforcement officials. Majority of the public's knowledge about crime and justice is constructed through media consumption.

There have been a number of movies and documentaries on eyewitness testimony. Below mentioned are some documentaries and movies that depict the concept of eyewitness testimony and the flaws in it.

TRIGGER WARNING: mentions of murder and rape, please read at your own discretion.

The Thin Blue Line is a documentary made by filmmaker Errol Morris on the wrongful trial and conviction of Randall Dale Adams for the murder of Robert Wood, a Texas police officer. The documentary centers around the "inconsistencies, incongruities and loose ends" of the case. It explores how the power that an eyewitness holds can be misused in a corrupt system. The documentary uses the tools of re-enactments and interviews to demonstrate its message to the public.

After Innocence, directed by Jessica Sanders, is a film documentary about 8 men who were acquitted from death row by DNA evidence. One of the stories depicted in the documentary was of Dennis Maher. Maher was convicted for the rape of 3 women in three different attacks. He was exonerated after spending 19 years in prison. The documentary also showcased his struggle in transitioning back into society.

Conviction is a legal drama that narrates the story of a sister who fights the American legal system in order to prove her brother's innocence. Kenny Waters was convicted for the murder of a woman after three witnesses identified him as the killer. Years after his conviction, his sister Betty learns of the new field of DNA evidence, and studies to become a lawyer in order to get the test done. The test comes out negative, and Kenny is freed from prison. It is later revealed that one of the witnesses- who was a police officer- had coerced the other two into testifying against Kenny in court.

The Innocence Files is a documentary on netflix. This documentary depicts the untold personal stories behind eight cases of wrongful convictions. The Innocence Project and organizations within the Innocence Network have worked towards uncovering these cases and worked to overturn these wrongful convictions.

This particular episode delves into how eyewitness identification works. It covers the real life story of Thomas Haynesworth who was accused of being a serial rapist and as a result served 27 years in state prison. He was wrongfully convicted for four crimes but was exonerated in 2011. Haynesworth was arrested at the age of 18 in the year 1984 after a woman named Janet Burker identified him as the attacker who had put a knife to her throat and raped her. However, similar rapes continued when Thomas Haynesworth was still in prison. The turning point in this case was when the police arrested Leon Davis (who resembled Haynesworth) for rape. He was later convicted for several rape charges and was sentenced to multiple life terms in jail. In the year 2000, cases related to DNA exoneration started to come to light. And in this particular case the semen sample that was collected from the first attack matched with Leon Davis and not with Thomas Haynesworth. The Innocence Project took Thomas’s case to the judges where he was declared an innocent man and was freed on March 21, 2011- the day of his 46th birthday.

This depicts the real story of Franky Carrillo who was innocent but was falsely charged for the murder of Donald Sarpy. Franky was a young kid who lived in an area (Lynwood L.A) where gang related violence used to take place, and got mixed up in a gang called 'Young Crowd'. On January 18, 1991, Donald Sarpy was shot, and as a result died. Dameon Sarpy (son of Donald Sarpy), Scott Turner and his friends were the eyewitnesses of this crime. However, the Sheriff's department was fully convinced that the murder was related to Young Crowd gang as retaliation on the “blacks”. As a result of this, six days later the Sheriff Department handcuffed Franky. Lieutenant Ditsch showed the photographs of the Young Crowd gang to Scott Turner. Scott picked out Franky as the man who had committed the murder when Ditsch coerced him into it. He later recanted his testimony. Franky presented his father as his alibi, but that went into the drain when his father died shortly afterwards. He was arrested and later convicted for the crime. In April 2006, Franky Carrillo got Ellen Eggers as his new lawyer. She asked for the Innocence Project’s resources and support, and was able to disprove every eyewitness' testimony against Carillo. Franky Carrillo was behind the bars for 20 years and was finally set free in March 2011.

The Innocence Files (2020)

Episode 6- The Witness: Making Memory

The Thin Blue Line (1988)

After Innocence (2005)

The Innocence Files (2020)

Conviction (2010)

EP04 - The Witness: The Murder of Donald Sarpy & EP05 - The Trials of Franky Carrillo

The above described pieces of media pointed out some major flaws that exist in eyewitness testimonies. Eyewitnesses are always under a lot of pressure to identify. Before DNA, the statements given by the eyewitnesses were considered the determining factor in prosecuting a suspect. These cases also confirm that eyewitness memory can be inaccurate, usually after trauma, where focus of the victims is usually on the weapon or in getting away from the scene of the crime, and because of this they are unable to reproduce the perpetrator in their brains. All these drawbacks of eyewitness testimony have been depicted in various media.

Media Representation