media and crime Flashcards
what did Williams and Dickinson find about British newspapers?
they devote 30% of content to crime BUT give a distorted image-> over represent violent and sexual crime
what did ditton and duffy find out about media reports being socially constructed?
46% of media reports we’re about violent and sexual crimes when these account for 3% of total overall crime
what does Felson mean by “dramatic fallacy”?
the media overplays extraordinary crimes, making criminals seem daring or clever
what did soothill and walnut find out about newspaper reporting of rape?
rape cases had increased to over 1/3rd in 1985, portrayed rapists and sex fiends or beasts-> link to gender and crime, often rapists are known to victim- media distorts this
what are news values?
news values are wether a story is worthy or not e.g. higher status (celebrities), immediacy (breaking news, violence (visible/spectacular acts)
what does surette argue about fictional representations of crime?
fictional representations of crime follow laws of opposites= opposites of stats (violence, drugs, sex crimes are overrepresented, fictional homicides often committed by psychos BUT irl usually victims know them- link to heindensohn)
In the 1920s/30s what was crime blamed on?
1920s/30s cinema was blamed for corrupting youths, NOW rap lyrics and computer games are criticised for encouraging violence/criminality BUT Schramm- for most children, tv is neither harmful or beneficial
List 3 ways the media might cause crime and deviance:
- Imitation- providing deviant role models-> ‘copy cat’ behaviour
- Arousal- violent/sexual behaviour
- Desensitisation- repeated viewing of violence
What does Gerbner argue about fear of crime? How could this be criticised?
Gerbner links media consumed and fear of crime in the USA- heavy users of television (over 4 hours a day) had larger fears of crime
CRIT- this does not prove the media causes fear- those who are already afraid of going out at night maybe stay in and watch tv more as a result
How does Lea and Young link the media with relative deprivation and crime? How does Merton support this?
media causes crime because it increases relative dep, everyone is exposed to materialistic lifestyles through the media-> Merton- pressure to conform to the norm-> deviant behaviour when legitimate means (wealth) is blocked
How do Hayward and Young link cultural criminology to the media?
cultural criminology means the media encourages people to consume crime through images of crime, LM society- media is saturated to exposed images of crime- image and reality become blurred e.g. police car cameras don’t just record police activity but are altered for TV
How is media linked to the commodification of crime? How do Hayward and Young comment on this?
LM society-> saturated media consumption, corporations use images of crime to sell their products to youth markets e.g. gangster rap and hip hop-> jewellery, cars etc
H+Y- fashion industry coined phrase ‘heroin chic’= violence against women in its advertising campaigns etc
how do moral entrepreneurs create moral panics?
moral entrepreneurs disapprove of certain behaviour + use media to pressure authorities to do something-> changes in law e.g. the marijuana tax act in the usa-> moral panic
how does moral entrepreneurs negative labelling create deviance amplification spirals?
in a moral panic, the media (moral es) label a group as ‘folk devils’ (a threat), presented negatively-> MEs condemn group and behaviour= crack down on group-> SFP-> das
what was Cohen’s folk devils and moral panics study?
- Examined response to two groups of working class teens- Mods and Rockers at English seaside resorts-> moral panic d2 media overreacting to one violent confrontation
(dramatizing threat to sic, media raises collective conscience and reasserts social control) - Deviance amplification spiral (their subcultural lifestyle was amplified, more youths joined, more tight knit gangs)-> increased control response-> marginalisation and less tolerance for this group
What are the 3 elements of moral panics according to Cohen?
- Prediction- the media regularly assumed there would be further conflict-> violence
- Exaggeration and distortion- exaggerated numbers of people involved, extent of vio
- Symbolisation- groups clothes and bikes were negatively labelled, asso with deviance-> linked them to unconnected events
how does Cohen link crime and moral panics to a wider context?
the wider context of change in post war British society- affluent young challenged older generation, moral panics occur d2 social change when values are undermined (link to anomie)
How does Hall et al (neo marxists) criticise moral panics?
moral panics distract attention away from crisis of capitalism, divides working class
list 3 criticisms of moral panics (not including hall’s)
- Assumes societal reaction= an over reaction
- Doesn’t explain why the media amplify some issues into a panic and not others
- McRobbie and Thornton- moral panics are now routine, less impactful- LM society there is less consensus about what’s deviant
According to Thomas and Loader what is cyber crime?
computer mediated activities that are illegal/viewed as illicit and are created through global online networks
what does Jewkes argue about the internet and crime?
the internet creates opportunities to commit ‘conventional crimes’ e.g. fraud and ‘new crimes using new tools’ e.g. software piracy
What are Wall’s 4 categories of cybercrime?
- Cyber-trespass= crossing boundaries into other’s cyber property e.g. hacking
- Cyber-deception/ theft= identity theft, phishing, illegal downloading etc
- Cyber-pornography= porn involving minors, opps for children to access porn online
- Cyber-violence= cyber-stalking, online hate crimes, bullying on social media
