Criminalización en medios y las decisiones judiciales en el Ecuador.

Abstract

This study examines media criminalization and its impact on judicial decision-making in Ecuador. It highlights the role of judges and criminology as a discipline that studies crime, offenders, victims, and social control, incorporating the media as a key factor shaping public perception of crime. The research shows that media coverage, often sensationalist and lacking legal accuracy, creates stereotypes, spreads fear, and promotes premature judgments that may affect judicial impartiality and the presumption of innocence. Using a qualitative methodology based on doctrinal and legal analysis, interviews, and comparative law, the study finds a relationship between media pressure and certain judicial decisions. It concludes that media criminalization can undermine fundamental rights and public trust in the justice system. Therefore, it recommends regulating media influence, strengthening journalistic ethics, training judicial actors, and ensuring a balance between freedom of expression and the right to a fair trial.