...truth in order to have a “newsworthy” story. Often it is the case that the media will play an important role in what Durkheim would say is maintaining the boundaries of society, reaffirming what is socially acceptable, and what is not. Durkheim would also say that all change starts with deviance, and the media highlighting this deviance on the world stage helps to excite and increase the rate of social change, which as suggested in the item, can lead to changes in law. Examples of this have been seen with public displays of homosexuality in countries where homosexual marriage is illegal, or disallowed. This kind of deviance is picked up by the media, and projected on a world stage in the name of news, and appeals to the world’s sense of equality and liberalism. So, while Functionalists would say the news plays an important function in society as a tool to catalyst social change, others would argue that it actually victimises a lot of people. This is seen with Cohen’s work on Folk Devils and Moral panics, in which a person with new norms, values or morals- or even all three, comes along and challenges societies accepted ones. This kind of challenge is met harshly and the new group, or person, is outcasted. They’re cut off from society as a folk devil and victimised for being different. This was seen in the study of the Drug Takers by Jock Young. However while the mass media show interest in crime they give a distorted image of crime, criminals, and policing. For example compared...
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...Media Representation of crime William and Dickinson (1971) found British newspapers devote 30% of their space to crime Media gives a distorted image of crime, criminals and policing compared to official statistics. The media: Over representation of violent and sexual crime Ditton and Duffy (1983) found 46% of media reports were about sexual or violent crime, compared to the actual 3% of crime records for this kind of crime. Marsh found violent crimes were 36 times more likely to be recorded in newspapers than property crime- America Media portray criminals and victims as older and more middle class Felson (1998) calls this the ‘age fallacy’ Media exaggerate police success Partly due to media covering violent crime a lot, which has a higher clean up rate than property crime Media exaggerate risk of vctimisation Especially to women, white people and higher status people Crime is reported as a series of separate events Without examining underlying causes or structure The media overplay extraordinary crime Felson- ‘dramatic fallacy’ and ‘ingenuity fallacy’; media portray crime as hard to commit and you need intelligence to commit crime There is evidence to show that media coverage of crime in the media is changing. Schlesinger and Tumber (1994) found that in the 1960s the focus had been on murders and petty crime, but by 1990 murder and petty crime were of less crime to the media. Change had occurred due to the abolition of the death penalty, and rising crime rates...
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...------------------------------------------------- Crime in context Discuss the role of the media in the construction of the general public`s perceptions of crime and the implications of this for the development of safety policies. The primary source of information on crime and safety policies is the mass media. Mass media has a primary aim to inform and entertain and therefore the coverage of crime may be inaccurate, biased and may promote inappropriate policies of crime control. However, the influence that the media imposes upon the public about crime will ultimately be dependent upon how the content of the media is interpreted by specific audiences. In relation to crime statistics and the public’s perceptions, the Government's British Crime Survey (BCS) of 2008/9, results showed that UK public felt crime had increased locally from 36 per cent in 2007/08 to 38 per cent in 2008/09 and an increase in the proportion of people who think crime has increased nationally from 65 per cent in 2007/08 to 75 per cent in 2008/09 when in fact the figures had decreased. On the other hand, some categories of crime did show an increase, such as theft from the person which increased by 7 per cent. Two main categories of mass media are print media and electronic media. Both categories differ in the way that print media is mainly factual and electronic media tends to provide visual imaging to relay information. At present visual media coverage is the most predominant in conveying the meanings...
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...Jorge 10/03/2013 How’s your Hero? What is your definition of a hero? Someone you look up to? Someone that does heroic acts? Or just someone that is fictional? These are the questions to consider when trying to define a hero. People today have their own unique definition of a hero as we do not live in ancient times. In ancient times heroes were suppose to be of divine ancestries, who were endowed with great courage and strength, celebrated for their bold exploits, and who were favored by the gods. According to Merriam-Webster today, a hero is a person who is admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities. Throughout history tall tales have been told of ancient heroes like Hercules, Beowulf, and Moses of how they helped their people overcome difficulties in their society. Although most of these ancient heroes are fictional, many may be regarded as great and heroic in literature. In the last 300 years or so there have been influential that have change the world or contributed to make the world a better place, and therefore earning the right to be called heroes in their society. Many tend to look up and define as a hero who they think are worthy of such a title. Parents may be consider as such as they always support and do their outmost to help their children succeed. This is the case in “The Train from Hate” were the mother consoles her son while teaching him a valuable lesson about after being kicked out of the train. Teachers, policemen, or even friends can be considered...
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...Serial Killers, The Media and America’s Fascination Turn on the television in any given evening and you can catch an episode or 20 of any number of crime shows (and all of their spin-offs) that showcases an intricate plot and horrific crimes. It is not uncommon for the viewer to get “sucked” into the storyline and then become personally invested in the outcome of the story. I often wonder what it is about theses crime shows and psychological thriller series that keep the viewer’s tuning in. What’s s the draw? Not only do we become drawn in, but at some point we even become infatuated with the subject matter and long to see more. Have was as a society completely lost all sense of right and wrong or has the media desensitized us to the realities of serial murderers? Defining the Serial Killer. In order to pinpoint the progression of fascination with serial killers, it is important to first establish a working definition of the term. The FBI’s Behavioral Science Unit defines serial killings as “the unlawful killing of two or more victims by the same offender(s), in separate (Morton). Generally the classification of serial murder is accompanied by the length of time between kills, or the “cooling off period.” In addition, the killer is usually a stranger to the victim and the murders appear to be unconnected or random. The FBI is credited with establishing this term, and by doing so, achieved a position of unquestioned authority in defining serial murders. Serial Killers...
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...| Fictional Versus Reality | | December 4, 2010 | Mr. Flip | | Artina Houston | CJS/220 | | In this paper, I am going to discuss the legal system as the courts handle it, we will take a look at fictional portrayals and an actual court case that occurred. The purpose of this is to ascertain the difference between the two if there is any. In the U. S. A. we have three systems of the government that each have their own specific role independent of each other, but still heavily reliant on the other. These systems all work together in all aspects of the legal system, with the court system heavily responsible for “Enforcement, interpretation, invalidation, and making law.” (The US Legal System, 2009) One of the major differences between fictional portrayals of the court process and reality is how the trial process is portrayed from the beginning to the end. Let us begin with the fiction story of Law and Order, this show dramatizes the law system the law system from when the crime occurred to when it goes to trial. The show’s main objective is to bring all the issues to the light that is presented in society in real time, or especially heinous or brutal crimes. I for one really enjoy the crimes that unfolds throughout the hour that this show has my attention. Well let me get a little specific, as Law and Order is a series that has done really well that it has expanded. In this one series the crime are always bad, the victim is an unknown, and the detectives...
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...2011 Lacey Martz Many television shows on our networks today focus around our law enforcement and our criminal justice system. Shows like Law & Order, N.C.I.S, Castle, and NYPD Blue focus more on the law enforcement side of it, showing the viewing audience the life of a police officer or detective and how they solve crimes, sometimes entwining prosecutors and court rooms into the script. Other shows such as Judge Judy, Judge Joe Brown, Divorce Court, and The People’s Court focus on the justice system and how it applies laws to court cases to reach verdicts. Today, with all the shows out on the networks, many Americans watch these shows and believe that they can learn our court systems and laws by watching them. Many do not take into consideration that the shows are purely imaginative script writings and that the laws applied in them or the way such cases are handled are not necessarily true and correct. Although the script writers of these shows do try to keep the story line somewhat accurate to real events, they do add exciting clips and scenes to enhance the drama in them to suit the viewing audiences to raise ratings. This paper is going to discuss the legal system as the courts handle it as well as comparing fictional portrayals and actual court cases with the purpose of trying to show the differences between the two. I will start with the fictional side and discuss televised shows and how they portray the law. A good show to start off with is Law &...
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...Fact Vs. Fiction Does one murdered family deserve more sympathy than another? In the two stories we read about two different families that got murdered, I personally do feel more sympathy for one family over the other. The Clutter family was a real living family, while the fictional family O’Connor writes about has an unknown last name and feels fake. Both of the stories gave me vivid pictures of what most family members acted like personality wise. However, I find that I sympathize more for the Clutter family for many reasons. Both families did not deserve to have their lives taken by murderers, but the Clutter family seemed very undeserving compared to the grandmother’s family. The story “A Good Man Is Hard To Find” consists of a family full of different characteristics and personalities. The very obnoxious grandmother talks a lot trying to make a fuss about everything and sounds annoying. She lives with her son Bailey, who seems strict and annoyed most of the time. June Star seems like a brat and her mother has no personality. This family does not seem like the type of family one would invite over for dinner. Their personalities seem too demanding of attention. While reading this short story, I felt like a dumber more obnoxious person than this grandmother does not exist. As I read this story I could not make a connection with any of the characters and wondered if a family like this could actually exist. It seems as if the grandmother and her family had opportunities to...
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...“Secrets are so 20th century”. At least that’s what a Time Magazine headline proclaimed in a 2013 cover story on “The Surveillance Society.” The emergence of ubiquitous surveillance technology, best exemplified by CCTV, presents a pressing ethical dilemma, namely is increased security worth the loss of privacy? This ethical dilemma is difficult to resolve because it requires a balancing a fundamental need, the need for security, against the less tangible benefits of privacy. The value society attaches to security varies depending on how threatened people feel. The less tangible benefits of privacy are most appreciated when they are lost. The ethical dilemma is made even more difficult to resolve by issues related to control of surveillance...
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...Countless novels and stories attest to this as numerous examples can be found dating post golden pirate age, in which a protagonist pirate shares a love interest. In works prior to the conclusion of the golden age, however this trait is quite noticeable absent. The closest example of such love we see in one of these early texts in found in Defoe’s General History of the Pirates, which is common source material for pirate literature. In describing the travels and life of John Rackham, Defoe acknowledges at one point that Rackham in Cuba “kept a little kind of family (149),” however this abstains as the only mention of family for Rackham. Further reading of Rackham’s story would seem to indicate such love interests were not of major importance to Rackham either, as Defoe states Rackham was quick to “make courtship to her (Anne Bonney) (165),” once he was able to woo her away from her husband. The lack of heartfelt relationships were clearly mutual in this matter as Bonney is later recorded as telling Rackham before his hanging “that she was sorry to see him there, but if he had fought like...
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...To start off, Legacy is a fictional novel written by James A. Michener and it mainly surrounds over the main character and how his ancestors are all great patriots. The main character is Major Norman Starr who serves in the Army. He is on trial and ready to appear before a congressional committee to publicly account for his covert actions. Throughout the story we see his family history and his ancestors the Starrs. They all pretty much served the United States, and had key elements in movements of our nation.We also are introduced to Zack who is the attorney that is defending Norman for free and who was also his bunkmate back in the day. Zack was always saying “it's my job to prove your innocence and stay out of prison”. Alongside Zack we...
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...the myths about pirates and replace them with facts. There are many fictional myths about pirates and their lives on the sea. Many books and movies have built pirates up to be romantical heroes instead of the ruthless savages they were, so this book focuses on separating fact from fiction about life as a pirate. Many plays and books such as Peter Pan, Treasure Island, and many others have used pirates as characters for many years. Many of us grew up watching pirates on television, but most of the time in pursuit of entertainment the truth is lost. Although pirates did dress in the fancy clothes that they looted from different ships; they did not always have the elaborate outfits worn by pirates in the movies. One piece of truth about pirates though is that they armed themselves to the teeth with weapons. The book also explains how some women survived life on the seas. Some women such as Mary Read and Anne Bonny had no trouble disguising themselves on pirate ships. These women had to deal with severe hardships, and they had to make sure their identity was concealed at all times. These two women were familiar with this life though because they had been raised as boys all their life. When they were caught they were also treated like men, and many times women pirates were also sentenced to death. Anne Bonny and Mary Read escaped the death penalty because they were both pregnant. Although stories have fantasized versions of pirates who were courageous heroes, in...
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...the popular Long Island, New York, in 1922, and its primary epicenters are the fictional villages of East and West Egg. In this work, Fitzgerald considers historical social themes such as prohibition, bootlegging, and economic prosperity, the rising popularity of jazz music and the accompanying flapper culture, and other criminal and gang-related activity. It is generally believed that Fitzgerald identifies strongly with both the book’s namesake, Jay Gatsby, as well as the book’s narrator, Nick Carraway; and also that Fitzgerald used events from his own life as well as from the Halls-Mills murder case in 1922 in this timeless piece of classic literature. Fitzgerald described his story “Winter Dreams,” (in which a young caddy is driven by his imaginative daydreams in the winter that tend to consist of committing very radical acts, to desire material success) written in the winter of 1922, as being a sort of first draft for the grand plot that is The Great Gatsby. There are similar themes between the two such as riches and grandeur, climbing the ladder of success, and being in love with one woman above all; though in both the novel and the story, the woman ultimately seems to be after her own personal material wealth and a certain level of social stature and popularity, with a certain disregard for the emotional or otherwise...
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...The Media’s Impact on Criminal Justice. Juvenile Justice System David Scholtes I believe that the media has a profound impact on criminal justice. Firstly in the way that it reports the crime. I believe the media is shaped by economic considerations. Whatever will help them sell more papers, get more sponsors or get better ratings is what they report, it seems that is their criteria of what is newsworthy. They tend to over dramatize crimes at times. I believe trying to give the viewer or reader the fear factor with crime scene photos and videos of pools blood, bodies still on the scene with white sheets covering them. It’s human nature to stop and look at an accident with ambulances present. The media attempts to interview victims, witnesses and family members of victims immediately after the crime. I think this type of reporting can effect a criminal investigation. Also they give out facts of the case that the police try to prevent the public from knowing so that it may not tip off a criminal of impending arrest. When there is an arrest made they like to film the arrestee in handcuffs being put into a car or being lead into the station “the perp walk.” Sometimes when the public views these situations it may be difficult to have a non-biased jury. The power of the media and their coverage can influence the operations of the criminal justice system and even the outcome of individual cases. The...
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...letters, a Story,”(53). Pi is a curious young man, simply searching for a new understanding. His search continues when he finds a church “up the hill to the left,”(57). To Pi, religion is simply another way to express himself. The author, Yann Martel, of Life of Pi shapes the main character's view of a Christian life through foreshadowing Jesus’ love to the image of the three holy places. When a young Piscine happens upon “a Christian church,”(51) he meets a Catholic priest, Father Martin. As they sit down to have tea and biscuits an intrigued Pi asks the Father to tell him a story, the story. Piscine didn’t understand why “their religion had one Story, and to it they came back again and again, over and over,”(53). Pi’s absence of knowledge about Father Martin’s faith only intrigues him more. With each question Pi has about Christianity, Father Martin replies with love. A love so deep that it is hard to fathom. A love that asks for nothing in return. Jesus’ love is a pure and sacrificial love. In a book of the Bible it talks of Jesus being the ultimate sacrifice: “Then came the day of Unleavened Bread on which the Passover lamb had to be sacrificed,”(Luke 22:7). If those...
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