Analyzing Moral Panics: Evaluating Media-Promoted Urban Legends Today

This essay delves into the concept of moral panic, defined as a widespread yet irrational fear often amplified by news media, posing a perceived threat to societal values and safety. Originating from Stan Cohen's work on youth subcultures, the essay evaluates how media exposure promotes moral panics and urban legends related to social issues such as child abuse, immigration, and crime, fostering hostility and societal consensus against perceived deviants. It highlights the role of media freedom in a democratic society while stressing the need for caution to avoid causing social anxiety and national trauma through sensationalized or false news. Using the example of 'rainbow parties,' the essay illustrates how media coverage can create moral panic among parents and educators, leading to disproportionate concern and potentially harmful reactions, despite a lack of concrete evidence. The essay concludes that media, while vital for information dissemination, must exercise responsibility to prevent the spread of misinformation and the resulting moral panics.

Running head: MORAL PANIC
MORAL PANIC
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1MORAL PANIC
A moral panic is a fear that is widely spread however it is mostly irrational. It is often a
feeling of fear that someone or something is a threat to the safety, values, and interests of a
community or society at large (Longazel, 2013). It is essential to understand that often a moral
panic is initiated and continued by news media. The essay aims to discuss the concept of moral
panic along with performing an evaluation of moral panics and urban legends that are promoted
by media exposure.
The concept of moral panic was developed first by Stan Cohen in the 1960s. Initially, the
idea was formed to understand ways of gaining social reactions to the youth subcultures as a
social problem (Clapton, Cree & Smith, 2013). However, later it was found that any social
problem would develop, media would promote it which now resulted as causing a moral panic.
The question that triggers most while discussing the moral panic is the stories that are capable of
arising moral panic. Moral panic is often caused by stories that are related to social issues such as
child abuse or pedophilia, immigration, drug and alcohol consumption or street crime (Machin &
Mayr, 2013). Any moral panic includes a high level of concern for the social group which
affected by the social issue. Moral panic exhibits a certain level of hostility towards the deviants,
and they are seen as the enemy of society. In a moral panic, a certain level of consensus is
involved across the society as a whole.
The reason stories about social issues often become the moral panic is for they are related
to the society, and it develops a sense of insecurity. Moral panics are usually caused purposely as
a section of the community benefits from the moral panics. It helps in getting public support
often by false illusion. Few of the notable moral panic that dragged the attention of the public as
well as sociologists includes ‘welfare queens’ which spread the notion about a ‘gay agenda’
threatening American values and way of life.

2MORAL PANIC
Freedom of media is a sign of a democratic nation. It derives from the right to hold
opinions as well as expressing them to have a free flow of information. It helps in transforming
idea across borders through freedom of media. However, since media is the most common form
of interaction with the public it needs to be cautious of its impact. In recent days with various
social sites and information available in it, it is easy to arise social anxiety around the
environment, medical, social, chemical and many more. Therefore, media should not be
sanctioned, it should only be trained to provide the information and not panic components.
When a story reaches national prominence such as Rainbow party by Paul Ruditis, it is an
absolute necessity for the host to investigate to correct any erroneous information (Hernández et
al., 2013). The false news might lead to disastrous consequences for fake news is more novel
than real news. When a story reaches the national prominence, there can be prominent responses
such as surprise, fear, disgust leading to moral panic (Lanchester, 2017). Therefore it is essential
for the host to investigate the story to avoid causing national trauma as well as to protect the
brand image of the company (Groeling, 2013).
The publicity rainbow parties have got adequate for the parents to worry (Berkowitz &
Schwartz, 2016). This news has received plenty of attention from conservative, columnists,
bloggers and certainly lots of talking among parents, teachers and school officials. All the
attention and the talks prove that it has successfully made the public believe that juveniles are
out-of-control delinquents and deviants.
The story is a perfect example of moral panic among the parents, teachers and school
officials although according to researchers and adult health-professionals rainbow parties are not
a big part of teenage sexual behaviour. The concerned parents were undoubtedly impacted by the

3MORAL PANIC
fear caused by media that morally bankrupt sexuality among the teenagers and it would make
them seek help without even considering to seek evidence of the rainbow parties.
Rainbow party by Paul Ruditis was received with less enthusiasm however, it gained a lot
of attention from the media. The book was created to teach young people about the danger of a
few sec activities. It was the parents and commenters that perceived the text from an exploitative
view. The phenomenon of receiving the book by audiences and the critics show the occurrence
of moral panic. It was merely with the fear that the teenagers would be getting wrong
information. In the end, when the phenomenon is analysed it is seen that the leading cause was
the media giving irrelevant, false attention which leads to moral panic.

4MORAL PANIC
Reference:
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becomes realer than real. Journalism Practice, 10(1), 1-17.
Clapton, G., Cree, V. E., & Smith, M. (2013). Moral panics and social work: Towards a sceptical
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Hernández, M. G., Nguyen, J., Casanova, S., Suárez‐Orozco, C., & Saetermoe, C. L. (2013).
Doing no harm and getting it right: Guidelines for ethical research with immigrant
communities. New directions for child and adolescent development, 2013(141), 43-60.
Lanchester, J. (2017). You are the product. London Review of Books, 39(16), 3-10.
Lewin, Tamar, 2005, Are These Parties for Real?, The new York times, retrieved from:
https://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/30/fashion/thursdaystyles/are-these-parties-for-
real.html
Longazel, J. G. (2013). Moral panic as racial degradation ceremony: Racial stratification and the
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