ABSTRACT
In a 1988 Justice Quarterly article, Gregg Barak proposed that criminologists offer their expertise to the media rather than avoid interviews. His hope was that a more realistic image of crime and the criminal justice system could be presented to counter the media's sensationalist treatment of such issues. This essay tests that proposition based on the author's extensive interaction with the news media in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, and Tampa, Florida. Comparisons are made of newspaper interviews, remote television interviews, live "on air" interviews, and live television and radio talk shows. The problems encountered by the author in each of these types of situations are detailed. A review is made of the literature produced by professional media consultants whose goal it is to help people get their messages across through these various media formats. The essay questions whether an adequate communication of criminological research is possible within currently established media formats.
