AC1.5
Moral Panic:
Media representations of crime may actually cause more crime by creating a moral panic.
Stanley Cohen defines a moral panic as an exaggerated, irrational over- reaction by society
to a perceived problem. It starts with the media identifying a group as a folk devil or threat to
society values, exaggerating the problem’s real seriousness with sensationalised reporting.
Mods and Rockers: Cohen examines how the media’s response to disturbances between
two-groups of working-class youths. Initially, differences between the two were not clear cut
and not many young people identified themselves as belonging to either ‘group’. The
disturbances started on Easter Weekend 1964 at the resort of Clacton, with a few scuffles
and minor property damage. The media’s reaction triggered a moral panic:
- Exaggeration and distortion- of the numbers involved and the seriousness of the
trouble.
- Prediction- that further conflict and violence would occur.
- Symbolisation- symbols of the mods and rockers such as their clothiers and
hairstyles.
The deviance amplification spiral:
Leslie Wilkins argues that the media can produce a deviance amplification spiral - a
process where attempts by the authorities to control the deviance actually produce more
deviance, not less, leading to further attempts at control and yet more deviance.
- media coverage made it appear that the problem was getting out of hand and called
for a stronger ‘control response’ or crackdown from the police and courts.
- Media emphasised supposed differences between the two groups. Encouraged more
youths to identify with one group and see the others as their enemy. Created a self-
fulfilling prophecy where youths acted out the roles the media had assigned to them,
increasing the scale of disturbances.
Changing Public concerns and attitudes:
Media representation can change public attitudes by triggering a moral panic. Media
portrayals of the mods and rockers as folk devils led to anxiety among the public that youths
were out of control and caused a threat to society.
Perception of crime trends
In general the public seem more likely to believe that crime is on the increase. The crime
survey for England and Wales found that during 2017/18, 72%. Of people thought crime
nationally had gone up.
The media give a lot of coverage on crime, especially violent crime, the tabloids often report
it in highly sensationalised and alarmist ways giving the impression that there is a great deal
of crime and that the problem is growing.
Moral Panic:
Media representations of crime may actually cause more crime by creating a moral panic.
Stanley Cohen defines a moral panic as an exaggerated, irrational over- reaction by society
to a perceived problem. It starts with the media identifying a group as a folk devil or threat to
society values, exaggerating the problem’s real seriousness with sensationalised reporting.
Mods and Rockers: Cohen examines how the media’s response to disturbances between
two-groups of working-class youths. Initially, differences between the two were not clear cut
and not many young people identified themselves as belonging to either ‘group’. The
disturbances started on Easter Weekend 1964 at the resort of Clacton, with a few scuffles
and minor property damage. The media’s reaction triggered a moral panic:
- Exaggeration and distortion- of the numbers involved and the seriousness of the
trouble.
- Prediction- that further conflict and violence would occur.
- Symbolisation- symbols of the mods and rockers such as their clothiers and
hairstyles.
The deviance amplification spiral:
Leslie Wilkins argues that the media can produce a deviance amplification spiral - a
process where attempts by the authorities to control the deviance actually produce more
deviance, not less, leading to further attempts at control and yet more deviance.
- media coverage made it appear that the problem was getting out of hand and called
for a stronger ‘control response’ or crackdown from the police and courts.
- Media emphasised supposed differences between the two groups. Encouraged more
youths to identify with one group and see the others as their enemy. Created a self-
fulfilling prophecy where youths acted out the roles the media had assigned to them,
increasing the scale of disturbances.
Changing Public concerns and attitudes:
Media representation can change public attitudes by triggering a moral panic. Media
portrayals of the mods and rockers as folk devils led to anxiety among the public that youths
were out of control and caused a threat to society.
Perception of crime trends
In general the public seem more likely to believe that crime is on the increase. The crime
survey for England and Wales found that during 2017/18, 72%. Of people thought crime
nationally had gone up.
The media give a lot of coverage on crime, especially violent crime, the tabloids often report
it in highly sensationalised and alarmist ways giving the impression that there is a great deal
of crime and that the problem is growing.
