The Reality of Crime Fiction

Spending three glorious months of university holidays in a cushy, air-conditioned house with a foxtel-equipped, 52 inch flat-screen television gave me ample time to feed my slight crime fiction obsession.

Why would I feel any need to venture outside into the sunlight when TV1 broadcasts its ‘Crime Time’ segment from 11am-2pm daily? Or when 13^th Street and the Crime Investigation channel screen classic crime fiction and crime infotainment series 24/7? Better still, why would I ever switch over to the news to listen to bland law and order stories, when I can follow fast-paced criminal investigations (albeit fictional ones) on approximately ten other channels at the exact same time?


Accordingly, during the holidays, news, crime related or otherwise, quickly became the enemy. The analytical skills which I knew I had to apply in order to separate fact from fiction whilst watching those tricky news segments were not in accord with my attempts to wind down after a stressful year of university. Watching crime fiction, conversely, was the passive, purely entertaining escape I needed. I had utter confidence in my ability to let my analytical guard down whilst still viewing crime fiction as exactly that; fictional.


However, as the weeks went on, I gradually began to recognise alterations in what I held to be ‘true’ about crime, criminal investigations and the criminal justice system. The strangers around me began to look more and more like criminals, I began to feel more and more like a potential victim, and, when I was witness to a man stealing a laptop in a department store, I fully expected a complete forensic investigation to be conducted. It was at that moment that I finally realised that even I, completing a double degree in Criminology and Law, was susceptible to mistaking fiction for fact, particularly when this fiction came in the form of a technologically cutting-edge, highly entertaining television series.



This got me thinking:


Exactly what effect has the increasing ability of crime fiction television series to appear 'real' had on audience members' conceptions of crime?



Upon some research, I found a paper which provided a thought-provoking response; Penny Wise’s ‘Providing the CSI treatment’ (2009). This paper details the rise of a phenomenon over the past ten years known as the ‘CSI effect’, named after the incredibly popular American procedural crime fiction television series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, and its two spin-off series; CSI: Miami and CSI: NY.


The CSI effect is said to be a result of the franchise’s extensive and seemingly realistic portrayal of advanced forensic methodology utilised in criminal investigations.

The focus on forensic methodology is highlighted in the CSI: Crime Scene Investigation series’ opening montage

And in this inside look into the CSI: Crime Scene Investigation laboratory

The popularity of the CSI franchise has even led to the release of nine interactive video games which position the player as a detective, allowing them to put their investigative ‘skills’ and forensic ‘knowledge’ to the test

It is perceived by proponents of the CSI effect theory that the rise in popularity of procedural crime fiction series such as CSI has resulted in an increasing reliance of jurors on forensic evidence, in particular DNA evidence, in relation to convicting a suspect. This reliance is further complicated by the resulting ‘impossibly high expectations’ of jurors in relation to the nature, quantity and quality of forensic evidence which can be obtained in real-life criminal investigations (Wise 2009, p. 384).

Wise states that the impact of the CSI effect can be seen in the increased reluctance of criminal justice practitioners to go to trial without DNA evidence, resulting in an increasing backlog of DNA samples, and subsequently large delays in trials (Wise 2009). This issue has become a focal point of the 2011 NSW election campaign, with the leader of the Liberal opposition, Barry O’Farrell, pledging $10 million in order to wipe out the backlog of 7671 cases awaiting DNA analysis (ABC News 2011. 'O'Farrell promises to clear DNA backlog').

ABC News, February 11, 2011

The supposed ability of procedural crime fiction programs to alter the public’s understanding of the criminal investigation process may be explained by the cultural effects model. This model infers that it is through the ‘regular broadcast of images and ideas over a period of time’ that crime media has an impact on how audiences view and understand the world around them (Marsh & Melville 2009, p. 25) . Although there are extensive practical difficulties in establishing a clear causal relationship between crime media images and effects, the cultural effects model does draw focus to the potential for audiences to ‘learn’ about crime whilst watching entertainment television (Croteau & Hoynes 2003, p. 15).

Subsequently, despite limitations on the extent of research conducted, the CSI effect does support my proposal that the increasingly realistic appearance of crime fiction has the potential to result in widespread misconceptions concerning crime, criminal investigations and the criminal justice system.

Personally, after three months of passively viewing as much crime fiction as I could get my hands on, I did notice a substantial change in my perspective on a number of crime-related issues. As a result, I’m actually thankful to be back at university, where I’m required to critically analyse the media I consume.

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Croteau, D & Hoynes, W 2003, Media Society: Industries, Images and Audiences, Pine Forge Press.

Marsh, I & Melville, G 2009, Crime Justice and the Media, Routledge, Oxon.

'O'Farrell promises to clear DNA backlog' 2011, ABC News, 15 February, viewed on 12 March 2011 <http://www.abc.net.au/news/video/2011/02/15/3139721.htm?site=goldcoast>.

Wise, J 2009, 'Providing the CSI treatment: criminal justice practitioners and the CSI effect', Current Issues in Criminal Justice, Vol. 21, No. 3: pp. 383-399.