crime and the media

• What are news values?

  Criteria for newsworthiness in journalism
• How do news values influence crime stories?

  They determine if a story is newsworthy
• What are key news values influencing crime stories?

  • Immediacy
  • Dramatisation
  • Personalisation
  • Higher-status persons and celebrities
  • Simplification
  • Novelty or unexpectedness
  • Risk
  • Violence
• Why is deviance considered newsworthy?

  It is seen as unusual and extraordinary
• Who estimated the sales of crime thrillers from 1945 to 1984?

  Ernest Mandel
• What percentage of prime time TV is crime-related?

  25%
• What does Surette's 'law of opposites' refer to?

  Fictional crime differs from official statistics
• How are fictional representations of crime different from reality?

  • Property crime is under-represented
  • Violence, drugs, and sex crimes are over-represented
  • Real-life homicides stem from brawls, not greed
  • Fictional sex crimes involve strangers, not acquaintances
  • Fictional villains are often higher status
  • Fictional cops usually succeed in their missions
• What is a recent trend in crime representation on reality shows?

  Feature young, non-white 'underclass' offenders
• How are police portrayed in recent media trends?

  As corrupt and less successful
• What is the concern regarding media influence on crime attitudes?

  It may negatively affect susceptible groups
• What are the ways media might cause crime and deviance?

  • Imitation of deviant role models
  • Arousal from violent imagery
  • Desensitisation to violence
  • Knowledge of criminal techniques
  • Target for crime (e.g., theft)
  • Stimulating desires for goods
  • Portraying police as incompetent
  • Glamourising offending
• What do studies generally find about media violence effects?

  Small and limited negative effects
• What did Schramm et al (1961) conclude about TV viewing effects on children?

  Effects vary based on conditions and children
• Why do people worry about media effects on children?

  Desire to protect childhood innocence
• How does the media exaggerate crime risks?

  By focusing on violent and unusual crimes
• What correlation did Gerbner et al find regarding TV use and fear of crime?

  Heavy users have higher fear levels
• What did Schlesinger and Tumber (1992) find about media consumption and fear of crime?

  Correlation exists with tabloid readers
• Why doesn't correlation prove causation in media viewing and fear of crime?

  Fear may lead to more media consumption
• What do Greer and Reiner (2012) argue about media violence meanings?

  Meanings vary across different media types
• How do left realists view media portrayals of lifestyles?

  • Increase sense of relative deprivation
  • Present standardized images of lifestyle
  • Highlight materialistic norms
  • Cause feelings of social exclusion
• What does Merton argue about media norms and deviance?

  Pressure to conform can lead to deviance
• What is cultural criminology's perspective on media and crime?

  • Media creates desire for crime
  • Blurs lines between image and reality
  • Encourages consumption of crime images
• How do gang assaults relate to media representation?

  Staged for cameras and packaged as content
• How is crime commodified in late modernity?

  • Emphasis on consumption and excitement
  • Corporations use crime images for marketing
  • Crime becomes a cultural symbol
• How do hip hop and gangster rap relate to crime imagery?

  Combine criminality with consumerist success
• How do brands relate to deviance in youth culture?

  • Designer labels symbolize identity
  • Certain brands are banned in venues
  • Brands classify potential criminals
• What is a moral panic?

  • Exaggerated societal reaction to perceived problems
  • Driven by media portrayal of groups
  • Leads to calls for crackdowns and law changes
• What are the elements of a moral panic according to Cohen?

  • Identification of a folk devil
  • Negative media portrayal
  • Calls for societal action
• What is the deviance amplification spiral?

  Increased policing leads to more identified deviants
• What did Cohen study regarding mods and rockers?

  • Media response to youth disturbances
  • Created a moral panic in society
  • Examined exaggeration and distortion in reporting
• What are the three elements of Cohen's media inventory?

  • Exaggeration and distortion
  • Prediction of future violence
  • Symbolisation of youth culture
• How did the media portray mods and rockers during their conflicts?

  As a significant threat to societal values
• What was the media's reaction to the initial confrontations between mods and rockers?

  They overreacted and sensationalized events
• What types of headlines did the media use during the mods and rockers panic?

  Exaggerated and sensational headlines
• How did the media link unconnected events during the mods and rockers panic?

  By using symbols associated with deviance
• What does Cohen say the inventory contained?

  Three elements
• What are the three elements of the inventory according to Cohen?

  Exaggeration, prediction, and symbolisation
• How did the media exaggerate the events according to Cohen?

  By exaggerating numbers and violence
• What effect did sensational headlines have on public perception?

  They distorted the picture of events