CRIM 1650 Lecture Notes - Lecture 3: Trutv, Reality Television, Dramatization
1 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
CULTURE AND CRIME
Objectives
*** EXAM QUESTION**
1. Critical analysis of the Cultural construction of crime and its results in their key
cultural forms
a. News Media
b. Reality TV
c. Crime Dramas
2. Focuses on the following questions
a. What images of crime and criminality are produced through these
cultural forms?
b. How are these images produced?
c. What impact do they have on public perceptions of crime and the
development of criminal justice policies?
3. Analysis of rado iolee as a master narrative –Dominant account or story
of crime reproduced across cultural forms – 3 medias: news media, crime
reality, and crime dramas
News Media
1. Multiple Formats
a. News paper
b. TV; Crime channels (court Tv)
c. Internet (variety of formats; podcasts, blogs, online news paper)
i. The ability to differentiate between real and fake news becomes
difficult
2. Image Production
a. The Business of News
i. Greater competition has increased and the pool of revenue
(subscribers)
ii. Concentration of media ownership has shifted
iii. Before it as a lot of idepedet opaies o its a fe ke
players that control the news we watch
iv. Final implications
b. Standards of Newsworthiness
i. Often depends on activities and events that can be dramatized
and sensational that make the population wants to see. Ie, school
shootig oug ppl killig other oug ppl eause its A-Typical)
ii. Grows as an issue itself
c. Format Constraints
i. Non-financial/ indirectly financial
1. The time allotted to news (60-90 secs) not much time is given to understand and
tell the news, gives a superficial overview of the news
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
2. Deadlines to give in stories, competition between news companies.
d. Sources
i. Issue of sources,
1. Police
2. 30% of crime news stories the police are giving majority of information
3. policing perspectives on the issue. They are on the front line but it produces a
police centered opinion (limited) and presents them in a positive lights and does
give much room for criticisms
3. Crime Waves: (Fishman, 1978)
- Image created through this mechanism is not real
- How the media actively created images
- Media outlets use themes to allow media to identify length, connection
about individual as isolated incidents.
- Tied together as what was part of what was coherent
o Ex. Violent youth crime
- Self-reinforcing type of media outlets
- The story rises and then falls back
4. Distorted Image of Crime and Criminal justice
- Nature and incidents of crime
o Crime is violent in nature, random, no clear motive, perpetrated by a
stranger, in a public space, crime is on the rise
o Emphasize on how the crime impacted the victim – humanized
o Limited reports on the offender – what may have motivated the crime
o Decontextualizing of the crime – very little background or information is
given to why and how crime occurred
- Effectiveness of the Police
o Reps of law and order in times of disorder and chaos – thin blue line
o Appears to be more effective than they really are
o Media clearance rate is much higher
- Ineffectiveness of Courts and Leniency of the Prison System
o Police key source – crime presented through their pov
o Excessive focus on due process – makes police mad?
o Media consumers are fed atypical crimes and circumstances
o Absence of deterrence – respect for law
▪ Police and media engage regularly with each other
VIDEOS: Youth Crimes and Media
#1: CityTv -
- Compares Toronto to another city with high crime rates –Chicago, NY
- gags or groups up to o good
- police conference
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
4
CRIM 1650 Full Course Notes
Verified Note
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Document Summary
They are on the front line but it produces a police centered opinion (limited) and presents them in a positive lights and does give much room for criticisms: crime waves: (fishman, 1978) Image created through this mechanism is not real. Media outlets use themes to allow media to identify length, connection about individual as isolated incidents. Tied together as what was part of what was coherent: ex. The story rises and then falls back: distorted image of crime and criminal justice. Effectiveness of the police: reps of law and order in times of disorder and chaos thin blue line, appears to be more effective than they really are, media clearance rate is much higher. Compares toronto to another city with high crime rates chicago, ny (cid:862)ga(cid:374)gs or groups up to (cid:374)o good(cid:863) Criminals are taking over the city and have no fear so need for deterrence. Attempt to link isolated incidents as a big issue.
