Depiction Of Crime In The Mass Media example essay topic

MEDIA AND FEAR OF CRIME The mass media is a vehicle for delivering information and to entertain. But implications that the media do more harm than good concerning its practices and its effects on the public. The two main categories of mass media are print media and electronic media. Although they overlap in some areas, they differ mostly in the subject matter they cover and in their delivery methods. Research had been conducted in using both these forms to gauge the impact that each one has on the public. Print media tends to be more factual based whereas electronic media tend to focus more on visual aids to help relay the information.

The public's fear of crime has an impact on the public agenda of policy makers. Fear of crime not only affects individual but may also have an impact on the laws that affect crime control and prevention. One might turn on any evening news broadcast these days and be bombarded with images of war, violence and stories of unsuspecting citizens victimized in their own communities. Is crime on the increase or is it just media hype? There are countless television shows with plots dedicated to the depiction of criminal activities fouled by law enforcement agencies with the helping hand of the law. Newspaper headlines scream out daily in bold print and action photos of the latest tragedies.

Should the public be fearful of what the television conveys to us, be cautious of whatever new crime wave is presented on the media? These questions may lead one to wonder if the depiction of crime in the mass media affects the public's perception of safety and danger in society. Mass media refers to media that are easily, inexpensively, and simultaneously accessible to large segments of a population (Surette, 10). Although the mass media are only one of the sources from which citizens attain knowledge of crime and justice, it is by far the most influential. According to one study, the mass media are credited with providing 95 percent of the information the public receives about crime (Surette, 10). With these statistics, it seems that the fear of crime is indeed constructed through the media.

In March 1994, the Times Mirror Center for the people and the Press conducted a poll that measured the public's fear of crime. Fifty percent of the respondents said they feared that they would be the victims of crime, up from 36 percent in 1988 (Krajicek, 23). There are two main categories of mass media that will be discussed: print media, and electronic media. Although one category may over lap with the other, the variations between the two seem to have generated different responses from the public. The effects of newspapers and television, in particular have been found to differ.

Newspapers tend to affect beliefs about crime, whereas television more affects attitudes such as fear of crime (Surette, 80). PRINT MEDIA The first mass media that developed came in the form of print media: newspapers. In addition to books and magazines, printed media traditionally tends to be more fact oriented. Print media can be more analytical in their reporting and can cover a story in more detail, and are less suited to emotional, visceral reporting than, say, television (Surette, 12).

Newspapers contain only news and not the fictionalized crime drama presented on television. But that is not to say that print media is not capable of sensationalism all the same. A 1988 study found that newspapers in the mid - 1980's covered violent crimes (murder, robbery, rape, assault) four times more frequently than property crimes (burglary, larceny, theft), even though property crimes are nine times more prevalent (Krajicek, 98). Krajicek gives an example of how the print media uses a formula to construct and manipulate news stories to generate readership. "The basic formula in news mag writing is to mentioned in varying places of prominence that crime trends were down, not up. To note near the beginning of the story that the crime anecdotes defy the facts, then to rush forward unfettered by those facts, unfurling a ribbon of one contradicting anecdote after another.

Moreover, the bullet-riddled cover illustrations, blood-red headlines, and photographs of sneering killers in handcuffs and memorials to dead children simply overwhelmed the whiffs of truths and context (1998, 22) ". There is also a notable affect on the subject matter that is reported in print media. In a study conducted by Heath (1984), reported that newspaper crime news affects readers' fear of crime differently depending on how the crime news is reported (Surette, 93). Results indicate that reports of local crimes that were sensational or random were associated with higher levels of fear of crime, whereas reports of non local random or sensational crimes were associated with lower levels of fear of crime (Heath, 1996).

This effect can be measured against the recent events that occurred on September 11, 2001. Although we are saddened by the tragic events, there is a sense of relief that it happened in a different country. Canadians are aware but still more mindful of what is happening in their own communities, than distracted by possible cases of Anthrax in their mail. This research suggests that newspaper exposure tends to be associated with beliefs about the distribution and frequency of crime (Surette, 93).

ELECTRONIC MEDIA " If it bleeds, it leads", the famed broadcast euphemism, is more accurate than ever (Krajicek, 27). In the 1970's television overtook newspapers as the medium that supplies the majority of Americans with their news (Krajicek, 23). Television news is based on visual images, and the clich'e setting for a reporter in a trench coat is perfect for a crime story to be told. Even more perfect would be the additional use of video footage and sound bites to make the story all the more dramatic for the viewing audience. Crime shows on television, music videos and video games also propagate the endless images of crime and violence into our households. The advancement of technology, allowed easier access to the electronic media, and enabled viewers everywhere to be a part of whatever current news event was happening, live.

The newscast is likely to lead with a reporter stationed far afield for a "live" stand-up at a place "where just hours ago" some calamity has occurred. This is followed by video showing something burning / bloody /damaged, someone screaming, or someone crying (Krajicek, 23). This may lead to the public's heightened fear of being criminalized, even when statistics may show that crime rate is actually at a low rate. Media Monitor, a watchdog group based in Washington, D.C., that tracks the content of network news broadcasts, report that the number of stories about crime on the nightly news programs of ABC, NBC, and BCS doubled during 1993, and coverage on homicides tripled. All this reporting about carnage had an unmentionable catch: national statistics showed that crime had declined during 1993 (Krajicek, 21). Crime on television can influence the way people think about violence, leading them to a "mean world view", to think that the world is a dangerous and violent place (McCormick, 4).

Human beings are visual animals and seeing images on the television screen places a picture in our consciousness of what bad things can and might happen. Television, being more visceral and emotional in its content, would naturally tend to affect emotional attitudes such as fear and concern (Surette, 96). It should be noted that it is not only the news that we are referring to when we discuss the electronic media's affects on public perception about crime. Pseudo news magazines that features stories on especially sensational events, and local televised re-enactment programs may also have an impact on the public's fear of crime. Gerber and his associates found that heavy television viewers were significantly more likely to choose television answers and also to view the world as "mean", an outlook characterized by suspicion, fear, alienation, distrust, cynicism, and a belief that the world is a violent, crime-ridden, dangerous place (Surette, 90). It is estimated that 95 million Americans watched O.J. Simpson "flee" from the police down the freeway on June 17, 1994 (McCormick, 6).

Perhaps it is the amount of television that the public watches that is the problem. These ratings reflect that there is a demand for such content to be on the air, and the networks will keep on turning out such programs as long as it is profitable. After all, no network is physically forcing one to turn on the television and be force fed information from their programs. It is however, seemingly a part of our cultural landscape that these programs will be, at least while the ratings are still high, a part of popular television culture. PUBLIC AGENDA The world portrayed in the media can be sensationalistic and stereotypical. What are the affects, if any, of the public's heighten sense of panic?

The fear of crime, whether it is attributed to the media or not, is learned socially, and influences the behavior of each individual affected. Fear of crime drives people to dead bolt their doors, purchase security systems, and learn self-defense. But even that may not be enough. The media's constant accounts of criminal activities may prompt the public to pressure the government to enact tougher legislatures on crime control. There is no shortages of anecdotes about brutal senseless murders in every Canadian city, and [the public] are being cited to back the call for a ruthless crackdown on criminals (McCormick, 7).

As with news reports, a story appears, the issue increases in importance to the public, the public becomes alarmed, interest groups are rallied, and politicians are questioned and held accountable. Police dramas, especially, tend to emphasize a system of crime control, with examples such as the popular television series "Law and Order", where the police and the prosecutors work together to catch the bad guy and put him to justice. Viewers may adopt this view and place emphasis on it to the policy makers. The results of an Angus Reid poll reflect a growing law and order approach to crime. Respondents are quoted as favoring the return of the death penalty in certain cases, tougher rules on parole and manual labor for young offenders (McCormick, 148). This is an example where if crime is seen as out of control, then there will be pressure to do something about it to alleviate the public's concerns.

The ideas that the media presents to the public, although exaggerated and sensationalized, reinforce the notion that not enough is being done about crime. And politicians are more than happy to fulfill the request to ease the public's fear of crime, and gain support for their own political platforms. CONCLUSION Mass media has proven to have a significant impact on the public's attitudes and perceptions of crime. Print media such as newspapers and magazines have played a vital role in relaying factual information about news events to the general public.

But it is the advent of television media that have sparked debate over the integrity of reliable news making. Print media was factual, although sometimes sensational, while electronic media made use of the technologies, such as videotapes and live footage to enhance and exaggerate the drama of the event even further. Many research studies have been conducted to show the effects of the media coverage on crime and how it influences the publics of fear of crime. Mass media has perpetuated a notion that crime is on the increase by portraying events and tragedies in the headlines that are sensational. The public buys into that idea, despite statistical accounts that reflect stable or low crime rates. The more stories people read and watch about crime, the more likely they are to think that crime is out of control.

Politicians may then enact legal reforms to sooth the public's outcry for crime control and prevention. As easy as it may be to hold the media accountable for barraging us with images and ideas that affect our views and beliefs, it important that the public take responsibility for the information that we consume. After all, there is always the "off" button on the remote control..