CSI: the television cockroach that just will not die

By Sophie Clarke 

Earlier in 2014, the producers of CSI announced that there would be a new addition in the franchise, entitled “CSI: Cyber”, focusing on a ‘cyber-psychoanalyst’ – whatever that may be (Kastrenakes, 2014). I am sure I was not the only one who groaned at the news, and had secretly hoped they would announced the well over-due end to the various franchises.

CSI seems to have well and truly integrated into western culture, heralded as the icon for crime television shows, to the extent that even sesame street is making parodies: 

The show episodically plays out the typical and commercially popular crime narrative structure outlined by Carrabine 2008, which “starts with an opposition between law-abiding citizens and criminals” (p. 111).  

Significant research has been conducted into the relationship between television shows of the crime genre and a fear of crime among viewers. Gerbner, George and Cross propose the “cultivation hypothesis”, suggesting that a “mean world view” is created when television viewers repeated watch fictional crime television shows (1976). With ‘mean world view’ referring to a perspective that promotes a of fear of crime and elevates concerns of personal risk (1976). More recent studies by Eschholz, Chiricos and Gertz found than fictional crime television shows (such as CSI) depicting realistic and onscreen violence were even more likely to create a fear of crime in its viewers (2003).

More specifically, there has been research into the impact of CSI itself upon viewers, particularly in relation to forensic evidence presented to jurors in criminal trials. Mancini explores how viewing fictional programs related to criminal forensic processes, changes viewers expectations of the accuracy and infallibility of such technologies – known as the CSI effect (2013, p. 547).  Mancini also argues that many individuals rely upon fictional shows such as CSI for their knowledge and understanding of forensic science, which has ramifications for criminal trials involving the use of forensic evidence (2013, p. 558).

Given the various researches into this particular area, I think it raises many questions, particularly regarding the impact of the new brand of CSI. It promotes itself through claiming that average internet users only access 4% of the web, and the other 96% is known as the ‘deep web’ – a void of crime and evil which forms the is uncharted territory that new CSI: Cyber will explore.

It is well known that the CSI franchises are extremely popular world wide, and at the end of 2012 CSI had approximately 63 million viewers worldwide and was awarded the most watched program globally for the fifth time in seven years. (Mancini 2013, p. 543).  Therefore, I query whether many millions of people will now begin to form their opinions and base their knowledge of internet crime not on empirical research, but on the over-exaggerated, polished Hollywood production of CSI: Cyber. Could this not lead to an new version of Gerber’s cultivation theory arising,? Which could result in a “mean internet world view” developing amongst viewers of the show - where the reality of Internet crime is unrealistically portrayed, leading to individuals having an unjustified fear of Internet crime.  Perhaps it is a hyperbolic connection to draw, but one cannot help but wonder, if the approximately 63 million people who currently watch CSI develop a fear of Internet crime from the new franchise, surely this could potentially lead to what Cohen 1972 describes as a moral panic? (p. 13). 

Of course it must be taken into account that younger viewers generally posses at least a basic knowledge of the workings of the Internet (as opposed to forensic science). But is basic knowledge enough to distinguish between fact and Hollywood fiction?

Perhaps I am just being just as dramatic as the actors in the shows I criticise, and the only fear of crime CSI encourages, is a fear of criminally atrocious acting. 

References:

Carrabine, E 2008 Crime, Culture and the Media, Polity Press, Cambridge.

Cohen, S, 1972 Folk Devils and Moral Panics: The Creation of the Mods and Rockers, Routledge, New York. 

Eschholz, S, Chiricos, T and Gertz,M 2003 “Television and Fear of Crime: Program

Types, Audience Traits, and the Mediating Effect of Perceived Neighbourhood Composition.”, Social Problems, vol. 50, pp. 395–415.

Gerbner, George and Gross, L 1976 “Living with Television: The Violence Profile.” Journal of Communication, vol. 26, pp. 173–99.

Kastrenakes, J 2014 ‘CSI: Cyber will take crime fighting to the ‘dark net’’, The Verge, 12 May 2014. Available here: http://www.theverge.com/2014/5/12/5711260/csi-cyber-crime-spin-off-coming-2014-dark-net-crime-fighting

Mancini, D 2013 ‘The CSI EFFECT in an actual juror sample: why crime show genre may matter”, North American Journal of Psychology, vol. 15, no. 3. Pp. 543-564.