Stemming the Tide: The Presentation of Women Scientists in CSI

Abstract

We reviewed three of the 15 years of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation to understand the media presentation of women scientists.& We found that CSI did present stereotypical views of the female investigators and that the female characters playing these roles were often punished by the script.& However, we also found that the show provided an opportunity for the story of women to be told by these female characters.& Accordingly, our examination of the character of Sara Sidle and the other forensic scientists found that the portrayal was more complex that previously literature suggests.