NCJ Number
139074
Journal
EuroCriminology Volume: 2 Dated: (1988) Pages: 5-27
Date Published
1988
Length
23 pages
Annotation
The mass media in western societies has a considerable influence on public opinion toward crime and criminal justice.
Abstract
The portrayal of criminality by the media can be linked to social learning theory; humans create social conditions through their behavior and develop behavioral attitudes and justifications based on social stereotypes and prejudices. The portrayal of criminality by the media can also be tied to the theory of symbolic interaction which reflects the meaning attributed by the media to socially deviant and criminal behavior. Content analysis of the portrayal of crime in television news programs reveals a fairly uniform picture of crime: media criminality is almost exclusively violent crime between strangers; the media focuses on offense perpetration and detection; the offender is a disagreeable and egotistical character; the victim is guileless and completely surprised by the crime; and crime control almost exclusively involves formal social control through the police, courts, and corrections. Publicized and public opinion on crime and criminal justice interact constantly, with violent crimes and crimes against the person considered to be the main criminal problems. Fear of crime concentrates primarily on violent crimes committed by strangers. The majority of the general population in western industrialized societies believes crime should be controlled by increased manpower and improved equipment and training on the one hand and by more severe sanctions, sentencing, and punishment on the other. Examples of media crime portrayal are presented, consequences of subjectivity in public security are discussed, and recommendations for criminologically desirable opinion formation through the media are offered. 55 footnotes