CC 100- (2) The Media

Influence of the media:

Behaviourism derives from positivism and says an individuals identity was shaped by their responses to the external environment

The Hypodermic Syringe Model says:

Which are true of the Columbine shooting?

According to Stanley Cohen, a moral panic is a condition episode, person or group of people emerges to become designed as a threat to societal values & interests

Cohen identifies 5 key features of moral panics: 1. media takes an [blank_start]ordinary[blank_end] event and presents it as [blank_start]extraordinary[blank_end] (exaggerations) 2. deviance amplification occurs when [blank_start]authorities[blank_end] demonize these wrong doers 3. they clarify moral boundaries in society, creating [blank_start]consensus & concern[blank_end] 4. they occur during periods of [blank_start]rapid[blank_end] social change 5. usually [blank_start]young[blank_end] people are targeted as they symbolize the future of society

what is a moral entrepreneur?

Goode & Ben-Yehuda listed 5 criteria to distinguish between legitimate problems & moral panics: 1. [blank_start]Concern[blank_end]- "heightened level about a problem" (often fanned by media attention, action groups, legislative initiative) 2. [blank_start]Hostility[blank_end]- Increased level toward a targeted group 3. [blank_start]Consensus[blank_end]- agreement among members of society that threat posed is real & serious 4. [blank_start]Disproportionality[blank_end]: level of concern is out of proportion to actual seriousness of threat (Exaggerations) 5. [blank_start]Volatility:[blank_end] sudden appearance and then disappearance of "threat" (no explanation)

What is the grassroots model?

The elite-engineered model is:

the interest group theory is the most widely used approach to moral panics, saying media, politicians, professional groups, religious organizations may act independently and may believe they are acting in best interests of society

Burns & Crawford argue that public fear generated by [blank_start]6[blank_end] school shootings in [blank_start]2[blank_end] years meets definition of [blank_start]moral panic[blank_end], they say for a moral panic you need involvement of [blank_start]public[blank_end], [blank_start]media[blank_end] & [blank_start]politicians[blank_end] [blank_start]Folk Devils[blank_end]: originating from folklore, refers to people or groups presented in media as deviant outsiders and the cause of social problems

Active Audiences are:

a problem frame:

In terms of Newsworthiness: 1. [blank_start]Threshold[blank_end]: is the story significant enough to be of interest to a national audience? 2. [blank_start]Predictability[blank_end]: Vital resources are often committed to pre-planned events 3. [blank_start]Simplification[blank_end]: crime story must be reducible to a minimum number of parts or themes 4.[blank_start]Individualism[blank_end] :Stories must have a human interest appeal and be easy to relate to 5. [blank_start]Risk[blank_end]: We could all be victims with little attention to crime avoidance 6. [blank_start]Sex:[blank_end] sexual violence, "stranger-danger" and female offenders being portrayed as sexual predators 7. [blank_start]Celebrity[blank_end] or high status person: The media is attracted to all elements of celebrity and crime 8. [blank_start]Proximity[blank_end]: Both spatially and culturally 9. [blank_start]Violence[blank_end] : it fulfills the media's desire for drama 10. Spectacle and [blank_start]graphic imagery[blank_end] : particularly for television news 11. [blank_start]Children[blank_end]: either as victims or offenders 12. [blank_start]Conservative Ideology[blank_end] and political diversion : protecting the "British way of life"

In media portrayals, people of colour (POC) are commonly represented as normal, non- criminals

In terms of violent women offenders, the media employ 8 narratives: 1. [blank_start]Sexuality & Sexual Deviance[blank_end]: women committing very serious offences are rare, especially if reference can be made to their sexuality Categorized as either: (a) sexually [blank_start]promiscuous[blank_end] (vamp) or (b) sexually [blank_start]inexperienced[blank_end] (virgin) ex. Aileen Wuronos: "first female serial killer" - claimed each of 7 victims tried to rape her (self-defence)

In terms of violent women offenders, 8 narratives: 2. [blank_start]Physical Attractiveness[blank_end]: women subject to intense scrutiny about appearance *women are either described in a Lombrosian way ([blank_start]unattractive[blank_end] women) or as [blank_start]femme fatals[blank_end] (snare their victims with good looks) ex. Ken & Barbie (Karla Homolka)

In terms of violent women offenders, 8 narratives: 3. [blank_start]Bad Wives[blank_end]: martial status, family background & children have impact on female defendants -women are considered housewives -epitome of this is a women who kills [blank_start]husband[blank_end]

In terms of violent women offenders, 8 narratives: what is true? 4. Bad Mothers:

In terms of violent women offenders, 8 narratives: 5. [blank_start]Mythical Monsters[blank_end]: media constructions of women offenders derive from pagan mythology, Judeo-Christian theology, classical art & literature (e.g. witches, vampires, Satanists) -aligned infamous female criminals to these mythical monsters

In terms of violent women offenders, 8 narratives: what is true of: 6. Mad Cows

In terms of violent women offenders, 8 narratives: what does this mean? 7. Evil manipulators

In terms of violent women offenders, 8 narratives: 8. [blank_start]Non-Agents[blank_end]: women viewed as either big children or as man 2 crimes in which women avoid label of "evil", but imply the non-agency of women: [blank_start]spousal homicide[blank_end] [blank_start]infanticide[blank_end]

The ideal victim comes from a majority status background and is:

Police are often portrayed as "hyper competent" (heroic crime fighters) but this can exaggerate public expectation for real-life police performances

Sousveillance:

what is the CSI effect?

Critical Thinking: