Crime and Media

Catalog description

This course explores the intricate relationship between media and crime through a multidisciplinary lens. It delves into the foundational principles of journalism and news reporting, examining how news values shape public perceptions of crime. Students will analyze various theoretical frameworks and apply them to understand moral panics, media portrayals of different demographic groups, and the depiction of law enforcement in both fictional and non-fictional contexts. Key topics include the influence of media on public fear and perception of crime, the portrayal of children, women, police, and minority groups, and the comparative analysis of crime news across different countries. The course also investigates the role of media in political discourse and its impact on voter beliefs, as well as media coverage of white-collar crime and anti-corruption efforts. Through critical examination of police, courts, and prisons as depicted in the media, students will gain insights into how these institutions are both represented and scrutinized in public discourse. This course provides a comprehensive understanding of the symbiotic relationship between crime and media, emphasizing critical thinking and analytical skills. By the end of the unit students should be able to 1) Assess the role of news sources and news values in producing crime news, 2) Evaluate crime news in historical context and as a sociocultural product, 3) Analyze and theorize the representation of offenders, victims, and criminal justice agencies in the mass media, 4) Engage with a range of theoretical and conceptual explanations for media renderings of crime and criminal justice, and 5) Evaluate fictional representations of crime and criminal justice by locating them historically, culturally, and socially.