Media and crime

What ways does media distort representations of crime?

• Manufactures reality,

• encourages stereotypes,

• law of opposites.

How does the media manufacture the reality of crime?

Cohen and Young suggest that crime news presents a manufactured picture of society. News is the outcome of a social process in which some potential stories are selected while others are rejected. Reiner suggests that there are specific news values applying to crime stories. For example, violence and unexpectedness. This means the media gives disproportionately large coverage to violent, sexual, and drug related crimes, and underrepresents crimes that lack excitement factor, such as property crimes.

How does the media encourage stereotypes?

In news coverage and true crime documentaries, ethnic minorities, young men, and the working class are often portrayed as perpetrators of crime, even though they’re more likely to be victims. This creates fear, leading to negative stereotyping and discrimination.

How does the law of opposites suggest the media distorts representations of crime?

Surette suggests fictional representations of crime, criminals, and victims follow ‘the law of opposites’, meaning they are the opposite of official statistics. For example, real life homicides mainly result from brawls and domestic disputes, in fictional media, they are the result of greed and calculation.

What ways has it been suggested media causes crime?

• Moral panic,

• hypodermic-syringe model,

• cybercrime.

How does the media causing moral panic lead to crime?

Moral panic on perceived crime leads to calls for a crackdown on the group. This may led to a self fulfilling prophecy that amplifies the problem, creating a deviance amplification spiral. For example, Cohen studied the moral panic surrounding the mods and rockers, finding that the media’s portrayal of events created a deviance amplification spiral by making the problem seem out of hand, leading to increased control responses from police, resulting in further marginalisation and stigmatisation of the mods and rockers.

How does the hypodermic-syringe model suggest the media causes crime?

The hypodermic-syringe model suggests media messages have a powerful effect on their audience, brainwashing them to accept certain viewpoints as facts. For example, people may replicate criminal acts, violence, and other behaviours they see in the media, believing them to be acceptable and appropriate. Wartella found an association between a tendency to watch violent television media and the likelihood of being convicted of violent offences.

How has development of the media led to cybercrime?

Jewkes suggests the internet creates opportunities to commit new crimes using new tools, such as software piracy.

What are the positive effects of media on crime?

• Helps solve crime,

• alerts public of dangers,

• puts pressure on government and police.

How can the media help solve crime?

Programmes such as Crimewatch can help solve crimes or locate suspects.

How does the media alert the public?

It informs them of the dangers of different types of crime, such as various types of fraud, allowing them to take precautions to prevent themselves becoming victims.

How does the media put pressure on the government and police?

Media campaigns on crime can put pressure on the government and police to take action. For example, over tax evasion by corporations.