Moral panic

• News values


  Information that is found interesting depending on location, class, age etc
• Moral panic


  The ability of the media to create fear amongst the public about a particular group or issue e.g. immigrants during Brexit, COVID
• Folk devils


  Scapegoat (always someone to blame)
• Deviancy amplification model


  • A deviant criminal act occurs
  • A reporter reports it because it is seen as newsworthy (a season is created)
  • Public concern forces police and law to act (moral panic)
  • Judges and the government are under public pressure to give harsher punishments (harsher sentences given)
  • All this makes the public feel that the fear was justified
• Moral panic examples


  • Knife crime
  • Jamie Bulger killed