NCJ Number
233403
Date Published
2010
Length
102 pages
Annotation
This report presents the results of study to analyze the potential effects of the new media, such as Facebook and Twitter, on the core functions of the judiciary.
Abstract
This report is the result of a yearlong, collaborative project by the Conference of Court Public Information Officers (CCPIO) to systematically examine the potential effects of new media on the core functions of the judiciary. The project consisted of five primary objectives: "(1) clearly define the current technology, (2) systematically examine the ways courts use the technology, (3) empirically measure the perceptions of judges and top court administrators toward the technology, (4) collect and analyze the literature on public perceptions of the judiciary and court public outreach programs and (5) offer a framework and analysis for judges and court administrators to use for making decisions about the appropriate use of new media." Seven technology categories are examined in this report: social media profile sites; microblogging; smart phones, tablets and notebooks; monitoring and metrics; news categorizing, sharing and syndication technologies; and visual media sharing sites. For each technology, information is provided on popular service providers, court challenges, recent statistics, effects on court proceedings, effects on ethics and conduct for judges and court employees, effects on courts' ability to promote understanding and public trust and confidence in the judicial branch, a summary of the information, and court-related social media profile site samples. The report also includes a discussion of future trends in the use of new media. Tables, figures, appendixes, and endnotes