Examining Media Influence on Crime Perception and Portrayal Interests

This essay examines the influence of mass media on public perceptions of crime, arguing that media serves as a significant means of social control. It highlights how the selection and portrayal of crime stories, often focusing on sensational and extreme cases, shape public beliefs and can lead to moral panic. The essay discusses the concept of "news values," where journalists' assumptions and values determine what is considered newsworthy. An example of the Calgary attack in 2014 is used to illustrate how media reporting can create moral panic and influence public debate. The essay concludes that media representations of crime substantially impact our perceptions, with editors and journalists playing a crucial role in shaping these perceptions based on their news values. Desklib provides students access to similar essays and study resources.

DEVIANCE AND CRIME 1
How does the media influences our perceptions of crime and whose
interests do their portrayals serve?
According to me, mass media is one of the most prominent means of social control in
our society. The individuals in the society learn about what is happening in the world and
how to interpret the same, through various forms of media namely the newspapers, television,
magazines, movies and likewise (CRCVC, 2019). The choice of the crimes to be reported and
the manner of reporting of crime can significantly influence the public’s perception of crime
and the belief.
It is significant to note that media highlights mostly those crime stories that are
sensational, unique, extreme and those who have the potential to impact the greatest public
opinions. As the media focus on the most violent crimes that are sensational, it fails to report
the crimes that are likely to impact only the individual readers and viewers, such as the single
instance of theft (Fullerton & Patterson, 2016). In relation to crime, moral panic is also a vital
concept. Moral panic occurs when a crime is presented in a way that is serious, unpredictable,
and random enough to scare the public enough to make them the victims too. I further have
observed that when a crime involves a celebrity or more powerful people, the same is
considered more newsworthy rather than the ones that involve a normal citizen. In addition to
the above, children as victims of the crime or the perpetrators of the crime make a new piece
more considerate. It is further significant to note that as per my observation, the concepts like
use of drugs, sex crimes, feminism and likewise are highlighted more than others as the same
are easy to grab attention with.
I believe it is right to state that media coverage of deviance and crime is filtered
through the wisdom and sense of the journalists. The “news values” drive the idea of an event
being newsworthy. News values refer to the assumptions and values held by the chief editors
and the journalists which guide them to choose what is noteworthy to be published and
circulated on the media (Roberts, 2018).
An example of how media reports on crime and creates a sensation in the minds of the
citizen is explained as follows. The Calgary attack in the year 2014 in which Calgary police
Chief Rick Hanson had stated the incident to be the "worst mass murder" in the history of the
city had initiated the debate on a bid to take them away “edged weapons” (Kwong, 2014). It
was further referred to as the moral panic leading to knife-banning issue more momentum.

DEVIANCE AND CRIME 2
Thus, as per the discussions conducted in the previous parts, it can be concluded that
media representations of the crime substantially influences our perceptions for the crime. The
choice of the content and manner of portrayal lies with the editors and the journalists in light
if their news values.

DEVIANCE AND CRIME 3
References
Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime. (2019). Understanding how the media
reports crime. Retrieved from:
https://crcvc.ca/publications/media-guide/understanding/
Fullerton, R. S., & Patterson, M. J. (2016). Telling Tales in the Shadow of Giants: Canada,
Ireland, and the Ethics of Crime Coverage. Journal of Media Ethics, 31(3), 174-187.
Kwong, M. (2014). Calgary stabbings: How knife crime in Canada can cause 'moral panic'
Retrieved from: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary-stabbings-how-knife-crime-
in-canada-can-cause-moral-panic-1.2611698
Roberts, J. (2018). Public opinion, crime, and criminal justice. UK: Routledge.