Chapter 3: Media and Crime

Why should criminologists study media content?

To examine ideas and images produced by media, despite it not offering thorough or accurate depictions of crime and justice.

What is the broad definition of media in criminological studies?

Media includes a range of mass communication products used by people to find out about their community, for entertainment, and to share information.

What are the Newsworthiness Criteria?

-stereotypes

-simplicity

-out-of-the-ordinary content

-human appeal

-drama

-proximity

-spectacle

-recurrent themes

-violence

-elite involvement

-negative consequences

-ideal victim characteristics.

Market Model

viewing media as a business focused on profitability.

Public Sphere/Social Responsibility Model

Argues that media should provide the public with what it needs.

Propaganda Model/Manipulative Model

Suggests media owners select stories that serve their interests, presenting a distorted version of reality.

Organisational Model

Emphasizes that news routines in day-to-day production influence content more than market demand or media ownership.

Hierarchy of Credibility

Concept that certain sources of information are deemed more trustworthy than others, often due to their power or authority.

Moral Panic

A societal response where a person, group, or condition is defined as a threat to societal values, leading to heightened concern and hostility.

Ideal Victim

A victim who is perceived as weak and respectable, not deserving of blame.

Racialisation of Crime

The tendency to link the criminality of racial minorities to cultural origins, while not attributing the same to white individuals.

Framing in media

The process of selecting aspects of perceived reality to promote a specific problem definition or moral evaluation.

Looping

Recycling media content in various formats, contexts, and outlets.