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The Role Of The Media And Crime!
- FEARS AND FASCINATIONS OF
CRIME: ~ The media plays an
important role in shaping ideas, fears
and fascinations about crime in society!
~ Peoples perception of crime comes
from newspapers, tv news, films,
magazines, books and programmes
like crimewatch! Left realists
emphasise there is a real fear of crime
by ordinary people which is to a large
extent shaped by the media!
- GEOFFREY PEARSON: ~ (1983) in his book
Hooligan claims that the middle-aged of every
generation tend to look back nostalgically on the
early years of their lives as 'golden ages' of
morality! He refers to this nostalgic image of the
past as reflecting 'respectable fears' of becoming
a victim of crime, but also a fascination with all
aspects of crime!
- SENSITIZATION OF ISSUES: ~
The media plays a crucial role in
'sensitising' the public into
percieving and reporting certain
activities as crimes. For example,
media attention and 'zero tolerance'
campaigns have challenged the
idea that domestic violence is not a
'family matter' but a crime!
- DEVIENCY AMPLIFICATION: ~
'deviancy amplification' was coined by
Leslie Wilkins (1964) to describe how
agencies like the police and media
cam actually generate an increase in
devience! Minor and rare problems
can look serious and common place.
People become motivated to keep
informed on events. ~ Resulting
publicity has potential to increase
devient behaviour by glamourising it
or making it seem common or
acceptable!
- MIDDLETON STUDIES: ~ Many
regard the 'middleton studies',
conducted in the USA in 1925, as
perhaps the first example of
deviency amplification. ~ Lynd and
Lynd ~ identified how community
and religious leaders in small town
'Middleton' Condemned radio for
promoting immoral behaviour. ~
Subsequently, comics, hollywood
films, television, video nasties and
most recently the internet have all
been viewed as contributing to
devient and criminal behaviour!
- STAN COHEN AND MORAL
PANICS: ~ The term moral panic
was developed by Stan Cohen
(1970) ~ It is based on a false or
exaggerated idea that some groups
behaviour is devient and is a
menace to society! Cohen used the
term 'folk devil' to refer to such
groups! 'Moral panics' are genrally
fuelled by media coverage of social
issues!
- COHEN'S STUDY ON MODS AND
ROCKERS: ~ Cohen studied mods and rockers
in 1960's! In the absence of a major story one
wet easter weekend a minor affray in Clacton
became front page news! ~ The media
developed these groups into 'folk devils' and
constructed a 'moral panic' about young people
generally!
- COHEN'S STUDY OF MOD'S AND ROCKERS (2): ~
Cohen noted how the media used 'symbolic shortlands'
such as hair styles, items of clothing, modes of
transport, etc as icons of troublemakers!
- COHEN'S STUDY OF MOD'S AND ROCKERS (2): ~
Cohen noted how the media used 'symbolic shortlands'
such as hair styles, items of clothing, modes of
transport, etc as icons of troublemakers!
- CIRCULAR NATURE OF MORAL PANICS: ~ 1 - An activity gains media attention 2 - Agencies of control respond 3 - Devience becomes amplified 4 - Exaggeration symbolisation prediction 5 - Problem becomes redefined
- COHEN'S STUDY ON MODS AND
ROCKERS: ~ Cohen studied mods and rockers
in 1960's! In the absence of a major story one
wet easter weekend a minor affray in Clacton
became front page news! ~ The media
developed these groups into 'folk devils' and
constructed a 'moral panic' about young people
generally!
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