CRIME & DEVIANCE MEDIA & CRIME BOOKLET 17

How does the media influence the public's perception of crime?

Creates a moral panic, creates stereotypes, people take it at face value (may not be true), sensitization of crime, creates fear in society, typically report violent crimes (more interest), fake news (the sun), over exaggerates

What is it called when trying to solve a problem (relating to crime), leads to more crime?

Deviance amplification spiral

How does the media entice people in?

Use emotive language/catchy titles, less personal (no names) to dramatize it (as the more people reading it, the more money)

What are the 4 most common topics the news focus on?

1. Politics

2. Crime

3. Celebrities

4. Sport

What % of news is about crime in the US?

45-71%

What % of news is about crime in the UK?

30%

Why is there a big difference between crime in the news in the US and the UK?

Due to gun laws and car chases being rife in the US

Why do you think that crime features so heavily in the media?

People tend to read/click on stories about crime, generates the most money, it effects people (crime impacts everyone), can act as a distraction/smokescreen from bigger issues (Epstein files)

What is a broadsheet?

Big newspapers (A3), factual

What is a tabloid?

More picture based, exaggerated

What specific crime does Ditton & Duffy say the media over represents?

Violent and sexual crime

What % of media reports is violent or sexual crimes? (Ditton & Duffy)

46%

What % of crimes do violent and sexual crimes make up of those recorded by the police?

3%

Who does the media portray the victims of crime as?

Older, middle class women

What is the purpose of making the age of victims old middle class women?

Creates vulnerability, demonizing/labelling working class males, makes it seem more generic to the population - can happen to anyone, can appeal to the target audience - causes panic

How do men respond to this? (the media portraying women as victims)

When men hear this, they show hegemonic masculinity, as they want to protect their daughters/wives

• so men read more, benefitting the newspapers

Media coverage exaggerates police success, why?

This is partly because the police are a major source of crime stories and want to present themselves in a good light

How do the police and the media work closely alongside each other?

Through press conferences

The police will tell the media what they want to hear, the police won’t tell the media they don’t have any leads - they lie

What are some examples of Felsons fallacies?

Age fallacy

Dramatic fallacy

Ingenuity fallacy

What is dramatic fallacy? (Felson)

The media underplays ordinary crime

What is ingenuity fallacy?

The media leads people to believe that to commit crime, you need to be daring and clever (and to solve it)

So, why do the media exaggerate crime?

To generate money

The distorted picture of crime painted by the news media, reflects what?

The fact the news in socially constructed

How is the news socially constructed?

It is a social process, where some stories are selected while others are rejected

Journalists will decide whether something has "new values", fitting a criteria. What is it?

Apart from the news, how are people exposed to representations of crime?

TV, cinema and novels

How does Surette say crime in the media follows?

“The law of opposites”

What does “the law of opposites” mean?

The media portrays something different to reality (official crime statistics)

In the media, is property crime under of over reprensented?

Under

In the media, is violence and drugs under of over represented?

Over

What is the issue with the media over representing violence and drugs?

The media makes crime seem appealing and desirable (but this does generate money for the media)

Why do fictional shows always portray police as catching the criminal?

They do this to show people that they cannot get away with crime, this restored faith and trust in the police (that there reliable)

Which groups are most susceptible to the media influence?

Young, lower class and uneducated

In the 1920s/1930s, what was blamed for corrupting the youth?

Cinema

In the 1950s, what were held responsible for moral decline?

Horror comics

In the 1980s, what was responsible for

corrupting the youth?

Video nasties (low budget horror movies)

In present day, what influenced youth?

Rap music, video games and heavy metal music

Think of some other media representations that can be gained for crime and deviance?

Eminem and Marilyn Manson - balled for the Columbine massacre

The Army - who are being controlled by governments/presidents/politicians

Childs Plays (Chucky) - was blamed for the murder of James Bulger

What are some ways the media could cause crime and deviance?

• imitation (copycat behavior)

• arousal

• desensitization (repeat viewings of violence)

• target for crime

• criminal techniques

• simulating desires (relative deprivation)

• glamorizing offending

• portraying the police as incompetent

How are news articles presented?

• used to provoke a response/isolate the society

• add pictures - emphasizes that victims/criminals can be anyone

Give an AO2 example of James Holmes - Colorado

James walked into a theatre dressed as the Joker and killed 12 people and injured 58 people (shooting them all)