Most American citizens are not well informed about their own rights and are not educated enough about the trial process. Considering this fact, I have identified a few principles of IMC [Integrated Marketing Communications] that could be applied to both remedy this problem and improve the overall trial process.
IMC is all about creating a cohesive message for consumers. Marketers often have to go the extra mile to ensure that their information is presented in a way that can be easily understood. Comparably, in a courtroom, there is often a lot of legal jargon that complicates the messages received by the jury. To remedy this, principles of IMC could be applied to create an informational booklet for jurors. Like an IMC campaign, the booklet could create a cohesive message with information about how the trial system works, a brief of Constitutional rights, essential legal jargon definitions, and a link to a secure website with information about the case. With these IMC inspired materials, jurors will be better informed about the trial process and will be better equipped to participate and make accurate decisions as part of a jury.
The cornerstone of the IMC major is learning how to bring together different mediums to convey an engaging message. Thus to make the trial process more exciting for jurors, lawyers should consider playing short video reenactment of the crime or adding other multi-media ways to deliver their information. This would not only help strengthen a lawyers argument but also ensure that juror's pay close attention, improving the likelihood that they retain enough information to make an accurate decision.
Finally, an IMC campaign emphasizing public relations could be used to help reinvent the poor image of jury duty, transforming it from a dreaded burden to an exciting privilege. If the positives of the jury process were portrayed, jury duty could potentially become something everyone looks forward to. For example, a commercial or radio message promoting jury duty as a meaningful way to contribute to society could make people feel like they are doing their part in making a difference.
Marcy Channon, a student in Jon Pfeiffer's Fall 2017 Media Law class at Pepperdine University, wrote the above essay in response being asked how her major, IMC, could improve the trial process.
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