*Media And Crime Flashcards
What are the news values identified by Galtung and Ruge?
Immediacy, Dramatization, Personification, Higher status persons, Simplification, Novelty, Risk, Violence
These values influence how news stories are prioritized and presented.
What percentage of quality press and radio news in Toronto was about deviance according to Ericson et al?
45-71%
This indicates a significant focus on deviant behavior in media reporting.
What percentage of news space do British newspapers devote to crime according to Williams and Dickinson?
30%
This statistic highlights the prominence of crime in British news media.
What does Surette’s ‘law of opposites’ state about fictional representations of crime?
They are opposite to official statistics and similar to news coverage
This suggests a disconnect between reality and media portrayals of crime.
What types of crime are under-represented in fictional representations according to the text?
Property crime
Fictional narratives often emphasize more sensational crimes.
What are common characteristics of fictional sex crimes?
Perpetrated by psychopathic strangers
This contrasts with real-life statistics where many sex crimes are committed by acquaintances.
What is a common cause of real-life homicides compared to fictional ones?
Real-life homicides often result from brawls and domestic disputes, while fictional ones are products of greed and calculation
This highlights a disparity between fictional narratives and reality.
According to Schlesinger and Tumber, what change occurred in crime reporting from the 1960s to the 1990s?
Increased focus on drugs, child abuse, terrorism, football hooliganism, and mugging
This indicates an evolution in media focus on crime issues over time.
What does Chris Greer say about media and violent crime?
All media tend to exaggerate the extent of violent crime
This suggests a tendency to sensationalize crime rather than report it accurately.
What percentage of crime stories in national newspapers were about violence according to Williams and Dickinson?
65%
This figure contrasts sharply with the British Crime Survey, which reported only 6% of crimes involved violence.
What do Marxist theorists argue about the reporting of crime?
Crimes of the ruling class are under-reported, while crimes of the working class are over-reported
This reflects a bias in media coverage that serves the interests of the ruling class.
How does crime reporting reinforce stereotypes according to feminist theorists?
Women are portrayed as victims and violence against women is under-reported
This critique points to a systemic issue in how women’s issues are represented in the media.
What is the pluralist view of crime reporting in the media?
It helps keep social solidarity and reflects public concerns
This perspective emphasizes the role of media in responding to societal interests.
According to postmodernist theory, what is the media’s role in understanding crime?
Media creates reality; people understand crime only through representations they experience
This suggests a detachment from the actual nature of crime due to media influence.
