Media

Question 1

Construct reality of crime

Answer 1

1. Agenda - agenda for public discussion laid down by mass media. Media selective in what they show eg right wing newspaper show w/c black street crime
2. News value - journalist view on what makes events newsworthy. Value based on: predictability, celebrity, violence, children, personalisation
3. Exaggeration - dramatising crime to generate interest gives false impression of extent of crime - exaggerates risk of being victim of crime

Question 2

Offenders in the media - distorting reality of crime

Answer 2

Media distorts reality of crime:
Most/least common types of crime
Women and elderly most likely victims of crime
Scale of crime
Most likely criminal w/c males - ignores white collar

Cohen - example of Mods and Rockers
Two conflicting British youth subculture 1960 and 70s. Media coverage of fighting - sparked moral panic and both were labelled as Folk Devils

Question 3

Effects of media on crime

Answer 3

1. Opportunity - directly encourages crime like robberies as there are no more available goods to steal
2. Absence of controls - media undermines social controls, criminals presented as glamorous
3. Desensitisation - people become less sensitised as always on news eg terrorism, school shootings
4. Means - people learn techniques for crime through video games
5. Hyperdermic syringe - anti-social behaviour and violence exits as its portrayed in films, song lyrics

Question 4

Cohen -

moral panics, deviance amplification

Answer 4

Media finds crime reports lots of cases on it, continuously reports it - more people then commit the crime - knife crime
Labelling of the act, folk devil, exaggeration of crime, self-fulfilling prophecy, creates moral panics

Question 5

Bandura Bobo doll study

Answer 5

Children watched adults being aggressive/violent they copied thinking it was acceptable. Relates to media - children watch video games/films makes them more aggressive.
Three effects of media/crime:
Copycat behaviour
Disinhibition - less pressure to conform to norms and values
Desensitisation - think criminal behaviour is normal

A03 - people who have good socialisation still turn to crime and are aggressive.
If people are exposed to violence during secondary socialisation it might not have an effect

Question 6

Cybercrime

Answer 6

Britain looses £27 billion a year to cybercrime - estimate

Glenny global criminal network - increase of global criminal networks caused by:
Globalisation
Technology
Communication

Question 7

Felson -

Age fallacy

Answer 7

Media portrays criminals and victims are older and more middle class than those typically found in the criminal justice system. 
The media overplay extraordinary crimes and underplay ordinary crimes - Felson calls this 'dramatic fallacy'.

Question 8

Global cyber crime

Answer 8

Wall identifies four categories of cyber crime:

1. Cyber-trespass - crossing boundaries into others’ cyber property. eg hacking, spreading viruses.
2. Cyber-deception and theft - including identify theft, ‘phishing’ and violation of intellectual property rights
3. Cyber-pornography - including porn involving minors and opportunities for children to access porn
4. Cyber-violence - psychological harm or inciting physical harm. eg cyber stalking, hate crimes against minority groups.

Question 9

Selection of Content -

Pluralism

Answer 9

Pluralism - view that Western democratic societies are run in the interest of the population.
Content of the media reflects the interest of the public simply to generate income so the most popular stories are portrayed to stop the audience taking business elsewhere.
However, companies like the BBC are funded through TV likening fee and must by law give a balanced coverage of news events to avoid political bias.