Justizberichterstattung in der direkten Demokratie

What role does media coverage of the judicial system play in the implementation of the law in a direct democracy? This question does not only relate to legal issues and court policies but also to democracy theory in the context of the relationship between law, the public sphere, the media and the judicial system. This means that the public’s perception of the judicial system—and by extension of the law itself—depends heavily on how it is covered in the media. In a direct democracy, media coverage of judicial activities also influences future legislation, with the result that the style and the quality of that coverage acquires a fundamental significance for a democratic constitutional state. In this publication, the authors highlight the social roles of the judicial system and the media in the context of their mutual interaction. They examine the media’s influence on judicial activity and on the way in which the judiciary is perceived by the public.