Preview

How Crime Is Represenred in the News Media

Powerful Essays
Open Document
Open Document
11387 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
How Crime Is Represenred in the News Media
Birkbeck College | HOW HATE CRIME CAN DIFFERENTLY BE REPRESENTED IN NEWS REPORTS? | Module: Hate Crime | | | Student Name: Ufuk Ucar |

HOW HATE CRIME CAN DIFFERENTLY BE REPRESENTED IN NEWS REPORTS?
Exploring news reports, which can shape the aspects of our society, within the light of news values and news imperatives.

Introduction:
Crime is always news worthy, especially, in this century of telecommunication, internet and media. It nourishes the audiences, which are waiting to see new events in every new hour. With the impact of internet and fast data transfer, incidents happened in the morning, becomes outdated by the afternoon same day. This requires spanking original news every second. In this case, crime reporting grows to be a savior for news agencies. Crime news is about moments of immediate crisis states Wykes. Whilst reporting a crime, the headlines, choice of words and pictures play a significant role, because; the way that an incident is reported can develop an aspect towards the victims or the perpetrators according to the political or social opinions of the newspaper or the reporter. Dijk remarks this as “choice of words in newspaper headlines plays an important role. Not only do they express the definition of the situation, but they also signal the social or political opinions of the newspaper about the events. That is, headlines not only globally define or summarize an event, they also evaluate it”. Crime can attract attentions easily and occurs constantly which makes it; an irresistible source of news for the reporters. Here rises the question, within the described rush of news reporting, do the reporters care about the news values? Are they aware of the impact of the news reports for the society? Particularly about hate crime reporting, which is a very fragile issue for the societies, and also it concerns mainly the most vulnerable components of our community. Besides all, can they be orientating the society consciously?



Bibliography: Books used: Chibnall Steve, Law – and – Order News (Tavistock Publications, London, 1977) Dijk Teun A. Van, Racism and the Press (Routledge, London, 1991) Jewkes Yvonne, Media and Crime, (Sage Publications, London, 2004) Wykes Maggie, News Crime and Culture (Pluto Press, London 2001) Documents Used: A jury at the High Court in Edinburgh took almost eight hours to convict Imran Shahid, 29, his brother Zeeshan Shahid, 28, and 27-year-old Mohammed Faisal Mushtaq of the abduction, assault and brutal killing on Monday March 15, 2004.

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    In chapter two, “The Construction of Crime News” it discusses the process in which journalists and editors choose and pick stories that are newsworthy. If a story is not newsworthy than it does not appears in the news agenda. They determine this by looking at the news value, which essentially means seeing if the story appeals to the public and if it will interest people. These values tend to change and be different in other parts of the world. According to Yvonne Jewkes, “they sift and select news items and – in a process known as ‘agenda setting’ – will prioritize some stories over others” (pg. 45). They then frame the stories by editing words, changing the tone, and choosing the right visuals.…

    • 344 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Daniel Roof Case

    • 669 Words
    • 3 Pages

    analyzes data related to the reporting and statistics of racially motivated hate crimes. Part IV…

    • 669 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Jury Annotated Bibliography

    • 2432 Words
    • 10 Pages

    [In this article it says that the media has influenced people to support the death penalty more than once. The media has developed a fear of crime within the public. It explains that the crime rates across the country declined but the media puts an illusion on us that the crime rates have increased. It also explains that media narrative seems the influence the juror’s decisions.]…

    • 2432 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Explain how media reports of crime have led to increased public concern about criminal activity.…

    • 382 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Violent crime in America has always been a problem, but as a result of the media citizens think it is a bigger issue than it actually is. The media would rather focus on violent crime, specifically murder, rather than the more common crimes such as: burglary assault, etc. This helped create what is known as the ‘CSI Effect,’ which is the idea that viewers think crime is exactly like crimes portrayed on television. As a Criminal Justice major I am able to see how the ‘CSI Effect’ affects members of society.…

    • 1425 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Most individuals would agree that the media has an influence on us, although they themselves claim to not be influenced by its effects. The representation of crime and criminals has provoked consternation. It has been suggested that such representations inflate our fear of crime far beyond our actual risks of becoming victims. Those who are least at risk of being a victim of crime, old people and females, are those who live in most fear because it is young men that are more likely to be victims of crime (Hough and Mayhew, 1983; cited in Muncie 1996, p.56). Moral panics are also a topic worthy of discussion as some, such as Stan Cohen, suggest that their origins are within the media and are the root of our ‘fear’ of crime.…

    • 1270 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hate Crime Analysis

    • 907 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Crimes of hatred date back as far in history as ancient civilizations. A crime of hate occurs when wrong-doing is done to a particular group of people. Hate crime is a form of prejudice that can be directed as groups of individuals based on religious preference, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, or any other defining characteristic. When two different groups come in contact with one another, the possibility of conflict or tension can happen. In recent decades, America fell to hate crimes when African Americans were lynched and synagogues were vandalized. In current times, the most targeted group of victimization are homosexual men and women. Teenagers have seen the most hatred when bullies out or taunt them in school because of his or her sexuality.…

    • 907 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The media displays a negative and positive image when it comes to police officers. Society sees both sides from the media reflecting how they view police in their own communities. In our communities we also see police getting shot or often finding themselves in a bad situation. The police are here to protect us and to serve the communities to the best of their abilities. The negative images we see and hear are police that are corrupt or brutally beating harmless suspects. The positive images would be that they have saved an innocent life in a hostage situation. The media portrays the police in many different ways. We need to realize that the police are on our side and that they are human just like everyone else.…

    • 306 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    In today's society many hate crimes are not reported to the police, though we hear them more often than before. The most reported hate crimes are based on race. Although their are many other motives of hate crime race is the predominate. A hate crime should be taken seriously because if it's not taken seriously it makes it much easier for other criminals to commit these types of crimes because the punishment isn't severe. Media since it is a large gateway of information, should take initiative to promote diversity or inform viewers that hate crimes are at an all time…

    • 101 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    In American society, the media plays an overwhelming role in shaping how people think and what people believe. The images and spins that come from every form of media eventually become the immediate thought in one’s mind when certain topics are brought up. How can this not be the case when stereotypes are being thrown at people in rapid fire from every direction? The media is everywhere and is not an easy force to be reckoned with. One particular area in which the media have formed images in the minds of the people is the idea of criminals. From pictures on television to descriptions in books, the criminal is commonly portrayed as a black male. The consequences of this stereotype may not been seen or felt by all, but they affect the lives of many in serious ways.…

    • 1118 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Violence is one of the most obsessed concepts in society and will always be a current topic of interest. People are infatuated with crime and the media takes advantage of it. When media presents violent topics, it somehow cures many people’s urges to be violent, these people we would deem as the social norm. Everyday people living an everyday life, they have urges to be violent but they don’t act upon them. That is a rather general idea of the social norm, since the concept of normal changes within different cultures. A deviant person is one who is departing from usual or accepted standards. There is something that is off about them as a person, and they don’t necessarily fit in with the social norm. A serial killer, for example, would be deemed deviant. Obviously serial killers are different, because they go around killing people however, the media finds different negative features to enhance the issue or form a reason as to why they would kill certain people. The media basically labels them as an outcast by saying they were deviant before they started killing, and then go on to blame killings on their deviant characteristic.…

    • 906 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    library worksheet

    • 262 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Explains the fear of crime from watching the television. Elaborates how the media affect the ideas of a crime scene and the perception of the everyday citizens. Also explains how the “crime dramas” perpetrate and depict the holly wood version from the actual criminal justice system.…

    • 262 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Better Essays

    Hate Crime Analysis

    • 1418 Words
    • 6 Pages

    It has been found all over the world where acts of violence were taking upon specific groups of people for reasons such as their race, religion and even gender. Although this may not seem the right or ethical thing to do yet some people follow their beliefs rather than what is ethical. This is where hate crimes come into play. In recent years, hate crimes against religious groups, especially Muslims and Arabs have increased and this is blamed by the “War on Terrorism”. It is thought that the “War on Terrorism” and the event of September 11th have placed a permanent picture in the minds of Americans to automatically assume or suspect that any American Muslim or Arab looking individual may be a terrorist and planning another horrific act against the United States of America.…

    • 1418 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Criminal Justice Opinion

    • 3286 Words
    • 14 Pages

    So that begs; are the media a real cause of added violence in crime or do they report simply what they see? Despite the few limitations to the press by governmental laws and regulations, the United States still can recognize the reality that it maintains a free press. With the freedoms allowed through the first amendment, the media is not limited to the accuracy of events but can have their own fiction or non-fictional version of events that generally can lead to additional crimes by a viewing public. These open gaps generally addressed by choice are the targets attacked by proponents of free speech, arguing a reduction in crime with added press control would improve crime statistics.…

    • 3286 Words
    • 14 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Hate Crime in America

    • 1437 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Offenses motivated by hatred against a victim based on their religion, sex orientation, race, handicapped, ethnicity, or national origin is considered a hate crime, this issue has risen up on the political charts; however, the phenomenon is hardly new. Hate crimes was largely inspired by United States religious and racial bias (Phillips, 2009). Hates crimes go as far back as the early 16th and 17th century when Native Americans were the target of intimidation and violence. (Phillips, 2009). The number of hate crimes committed in the US seems small when compared to other crimes that are committed, but the crime can become more violent than other crimes (Wessler, 2001). When hate crimes are…

    • 1437 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays