Neither Seen Nor Heard: Media in America's Juvenile Courts

The relative dearth of coverage of juvenile justice issues in American journalism suggests the need for discussion of standards governing media access to juvenile courts. This article provides a brief history of the nation's juvenile court system and presents the existing legal and policy justifications for regular media presence in juvenile courts. The article argues that it is possible to improve media coverage of juvenile justice and thus raise public awareness of the issues without jeopardizing either the confidentiality or the futures of the youths the juvenile courts exist to serve. Moreover, the article suggests that increased access to juvenile courts is indeed possible; the media need only to better exploit existing opportunities for coverage.