Reporting on the criminal justice system

As part of our efforts to change the narrative around criminal justice, we have collaborated with journalist Albie Matthews to develop a set of resources for journalism students. These resources aim to encourage students to be more sensitive and constructive in their reporting on the criminal justice system (CJS).

We conducted focus groups with both experienced and early-career journalists, individuals with lived experience of the CJS, and our members to inform these resources.

The overwhelming feedback suggested a need to emphasise the human impact of criminal justice reporting. To address this, we interviewed three individuals about their experiences and produced this short film:

Written resources for journalism students

In addition to the film, we have also created:

• A reporting checklist, guiding early-career journalists through the reporting process and providing insights into how they can approach their writing sensitively and constructively.
• A writing style guide including writing tips, suggestions for alternative language, and a criminal justice dictionary.

We are currently sharing these resources with journalism students at City, University of London and, based on feedback, look forward to collaborating with other academic institutions. If you or your institution would like to get involved with this work, please email: media@criminaljusticealliance.org.uk.