Media May Find Themselves on Trial in High-Profile Case ; Ruling to Allow Cameras in Diallo Trial Renews Question of Whether Media Coverage Saps Public Faith in Judiciary

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When trial begins of the four white New York City police officers accused of killing with a barrage of 41 bullets Amadou Diallo, an unarmed African immigrant, the media will be on trial as well. The question: Whether they turn the potentially explosive case into a sensational, racially charged circus or an august exploration of its difficult social implications.

In a surprising decision this week, state Supreme Court Justice Joseph Teresi ruled that cameras will be allowed to broadcast most of the proceedings. While cameras are common in most state courts, New York is one of only three states, along with the federal judiciary, to ban them outright. Judge Teresi ruled …