Media + Moral Panic

Question 1

Moral panic

Answer 1

How the media creates stories about crime and create panic among the population - threatening the moral standards of society which is usually exaggerated

Question 2

Cohn’s theory: mods + rockers case study

Answer 2

Studied media representations of ‘ mods and rockers ‘ in the 1960’s, focused on the media’s reaction to youth disturbances on beeches. The media blew out of proportion the small scuffles + vandalism - created a culture of fear amongst the adults that youth were out of control

Question 3

Stages of moral panic (1)

Answer 3

Individual/group commit an act of deviance - media reports on the initial reports of the identification of a problem, reporting on their characteristics + nature of the deviant behaviour

Question 4

Stages of moral panic (2)

Answer 4

News headlines use sensationalist language + dramatic pictures to capture peoples attention - day of terror

Question 5

Stages of moral panic (3)

Answer 5

To maintain their interest, the media continues to report on the problem group + identify symbols to them, for example ordinary teenagers who looked like mods/rocker found themselves getting more negative attention from the police + general adults - media created the impression they were a threat

Question 6

Stages of moral panic (4)

Answer 6

The moral panic is consolidated with the general panic openly expressing fear about the problem identified even if there is little to worry about

Question 7

Deviance amplification

Answer 7

Other people attracted to the problem group or seek it out for the excitement - leads to the police targeting the group more

Question 8

Postmodern views: post modern society

Answer 8

Characterised by a heightened consciousness of risk, caused by a disintegration of old cultural identities that previously ensured stability

Question 9

Postmodern views: for example

Answer 9

As people become less religious + society becomes diverse, people feel less unified + stable moreover, new risks that are beyond the control of individuals such as fear of global warming/ nuclear risk

Question 10

Postmodern views: moral panic

Answer 10

Moral panic is a symptom of the risk consciousness that society characteristics today, the media deliberately reports upon deviant activities in a way that instals fear because they know that people will be triggered

Question 11

Interactionist views

Answer 11

Argue that moral panic seem to arise most often when a society is undergoing a ‘ moral crisis ‘ where people are in conflict with one another over how to behave

Question 12

Interactionist views: moral panic origin

Answer 12

First moral panic happened in the 1950’s + 1960’s, made when youth as an age category became a distinctive consumer group for the first time

Question 13

Interactionist views: suggest

Answer 13

That the older generation was concerned that such social + economic developments were undermining moral order + adult authority - moral panic is a product of social change

Question 14

Marxism views: moral panic

Answer 14

Moral panic is an ideological tool of the capitalist class, aimed at diverting attention from the crisis caused by capitalism and dividing + ruling sections of the working class

Question 15

Marxism: moral panic origin

Answer 15

In the 1970’s the ruling class was challenged as there was economic recession, news created stories about mugging to turn the white w,c. against the black w.c, - criticisms of the ruining class left

Question 16

Realism views: moral panic

Answer 16

Based on reality and fact, the groups identified are often a real threat to those living in inner city areas

Question 17

Realism views: portraying crime

Answer 17

Portraying such crime as a fantasy product of the mass media is naive + denies the great harm that some types of crime do to particular communities, or the sense of threat that older people feel - moral panics are probably justified in many cases