media and crime

Question 1

accuracy of media - over representing

Answer 1

over represent violent & sexual crim

Woothill & Walby - 1950s to 1980s - increase in reporting rape cases - misrepresent perpetrators of violent crimes - portray them as psychopathic strangers when most perpetrators are known to victim and exaggerate violent crimes despite only small amount being reported

Question 2

accuracy of media - felson

Answer 2

age fallacy - media portray criminals & victims are older & m/c.

Question 3

accuracy of media - exaggerated

Answer 3

Media coverage exaggerates clear up rates= police success in solving crimes.

Question 4

news values

Answer 4

Dramatisation - action & excitement.

Simplification - of the story.

Immediacy - live coverage of events - breaking news

Question 5

fictional media representations

Answer 5

Police presented in positive light - clear up rate is high.

offenders/villains often high status, m/c males successful at crime but are taken down by top notch police officer.

Property crime is under represented, while violent & sex crimes are over-represented.

Question 6

how does media cause crime - relative deprivation

Answer 6

Media causes relative deprivation

Left Realist - media advertise ‘normal’ lifestyle characterised by consumer and material goods - creates sense of RD & social exclusion amongst those who can’t afford these goods - w/c turn to crime to obtain these goods that media portray as desirable

Question 7

relative deprivation criticism

Answer 7

trust OCS which show w/c are criminals & ignore WCC which don’t appear in OCS because law is selectively enforced.

Question 8

how does media cause crime - deviancy amplification

Answer 8

studied societal reaction to mods and rockers - found that press hugely exaggerated events when actually fighting and general criminality were minor.

due to sensationalist media reporting of the disturbances, youth became seen as folk devils - threat to social order. SFP happened and M&Rs engaged in more fighting - caused moral panic

police arrested anyone who fit stereotype of M&Rs

deviance amplification - the attempt to control deviance lead to increase in deviance

Question 9

s.cohen criticism

Answer 9

public have become media savvy - aware of how media operates thus less likely to believe everything we hear.