How Not to Think about Crime in the Media
Aaron Doyle
A. Doyle's 2006 article assesses the state of current research into crime and the
media. It argues that previous studies have often had problems by simply
assuming media influence, or by reducing various aspects of the media without
taking into account the complexity of social relations and institutions. It highlights
the limitations of media influence research and suggests that effective research
focuses on the direct political and institutional effects of crime stories in the
media. Furthermore, it suggests that additional interpretive research is needed
into the meaning of crime stories for specific target groups. Finally, it calls for a
thorough analysis of the interaction between crime news and crime stories.
The article points to consistent findings in media crime research, such as the
copious coverage of crime and control in news media and the dominance of
crime as a theme in popular entertainment. It also highlights that media
influences often deviate from official statistics and that media play a role in
constructing 'crime waves'. Attention is paid to the tendency of crime news to
focus on individual crimes without wider context, and the role of police as
important sources of crime information in the media.
The article suggests caution in making assumptions about both the production
and reception of media based on analyzes of media content alone. It emphasizes
the diversity and complexity of media organizations, production, formats, content
and target groups. It argues that the concept of "media" should not be
considered as a homogeneous entity and emphasizes the need to take diversity
into account in research.
Furthermore, the article points out the challenges of effects research on media
influences on audiences, highlighting the importance of context and political and
institutional effects. It argues that the direct political and institutional effects are
only part of the solution and that more attention needs to be paid to the broader
role of crime stories in the lives of individuals and in contemporary culture. It
emphasizes the importance of interpretive research into the role of crime stories
in the meanings that individuals attribute to them and calls for an in-depth
analysis of the interaction between crime news and crime stories.
,The social construction of crime and crime control
Nicole Hahn Rafter
This text discusses the impact of constructivism in the field of criminal justice.
The constructivist approach analyzes how social information is produced,
disseminated, verified and refuted. In criminal law, this approach focuses on
understanding the processes by which knowledge is formed within the field, and
examines the relationships between social structures, law, criminal acts and
perception.
The article identifies four areas within criminal law where the constructivist
tradition has developed:
1. Social Histories of Criminal Justice Practice and Theory: The social history
of criminal justice initially included unanalytical narratives but evolved to include
labeling theory. It asked questions about punishment, deviance and the creation
of rules. Researchers explored the origins of criminal justice institutions and their
connections to broader social changes.
2. Critical Criminology: Originating in the 1970s, critical criminology
attempted to reframe criminal justice issues in Marxist terms. It analyzed how
social class influences criminal justice, treating crime and crime control as
instruments of class struggle. Despite its struggles as a disciplinary movement,
critical criminology contributed to constructivist analysis by questioning
established views on crime and social control.
3. Research on the Victimization of Women: Grassroots organizations
initiated this area, challenging traditional definitions of crimes against women.
Feminist activists worked to change legal definitions, especially in rape cases,
and criticized the criminal justice system for its treatment of female victims. This
work emphasized the political nature of criminal justice and demonstrated that
crime, perpetrators and victims are socially constructed.
4. Feminist Theory: Feminist theorists examined the social construction of
gender within criminal justice. They examined gender differences in offender
coping and criticized criminological theories that focused exclusively on male
delinquency. Feminist analyzes challenged traditional views and sought a
nuanced understanding of female crime, examining criminological discourses as
part of the construction of gender.
The constructivist approach within criminal law helps to put practices into
perspective, problematizes received wisdom and historicizes assumptions.
Despite obstacles such as the dominant professional model and political
conservatism, constructivism has become a valuable addition to traditional
approaches, contributing to greater self-awareness and epistemological
sophistication within the field.
This text discusses the theorization of media and crime. Although a simplification
of the historical development of two areas of research (noting the importance of
the broader field of sociology), this chapter has traced the origins and
development of key theories that have shaped the contours of both criminology
and media studies . It has attempted to provide a broad overview of points of
, convergence and conflict between the two. It has been established that there is
no consistent, generally accepted and formalized body of statements that can
easily be labeled as 'media theory' or 'criminological theory'. Although such
terms are widely used, neither field is unified by the development of a standard
set of concepts, a coherent set of hypotheses, or an overall explanatory
framework. Nevertheless, it has been argued that a sense of progressive
development is nevertheless visible in ideas about media and crime.
In summary, the theoretical anchors on which our analysis is based are as
follows:
• Media effects: Early theories linking media and crime were characterized
by an overwhelmingly negative view of both the role of the media and the
susceptibility of the public. Although academic researchers in the UK have
strongly resisted attempts to demonstrate the existence of a causal link between
media and crime, ideas about potentially harmful media that can cause negative
or antisocial consequences continue to play a central role in popular or
mainstream discourses , which are also included in the policy.
• Strain theory and anomie: Merton's development of anomie helps us
understand the tension created by a discrepancy between the cultural goals of
wealth and status, and legitimate means of achieving those goals. For those with
few resources to achieve success through normal, legal channels, the mass
media – especially the advertising industry – can be seen as creating
immeasurable pressure, creating a vast well of desire with little chance of
fulfillment. It is in such circumstances that some individuals pursue the culturally
desirable goals of success and material wealth through illegitimate paths.
• Dominant ideology: With the rediscovery of Marx's writings on social
structure, scholars in the 1960s and 1970s focused on the extent to which
consent is "manufactured" by the powerful along ideological lines. According to
the dominant ideology approach, the power to criminalize and dismiss certain
groups and behaviors lies with the ruling elite, who - in a process known as
'hegemony' - gain popular approval for their actions through social institutions,
including the media.
• Pluralism: This perspective emerged as a challenge to hegemonic models
of media power. Pluralism emphasizes the diversity and plurality of available
media channels, countering the view that any ideology can be dominant if it does
not correspond to what people experience as true.
• Postmodernism and cultural criminology: Postmodernism is a notoriously
difficult subject to understand. Within criminology, postmodernism involves the
abandonment of the concept of crime and the construction of a new language
and mindset to define processes of criminalization and reprimand. Cultural
criminology embraces these postmodern ideas and supports them with more
'radical' but established concerns, also drawing attention to the fact that crime
can have a carnivalesque quality; it is exciting, performative and dangerous.
Aaron Doyle
A. Doyle's 2006 article assesses the state of current research into crime and the
media. It argues that previous studies have often had problems by simply
assuming media influence, or by reducing various aspects of the media without
taking into account the complexity of social relations and institutions. It highlights
the limitations of media influence research and suggests that effective research
focuses on the direct political and institutional effects of crime stories in the
media. Furthermore, it suggests that additional interpretive research is needed
into the meaning of crime stories for specific target groups. Finally, it calls for a
thorough analysis of the interaction between crime news and crime stories.
The article points to consistent findings in media crime research, such as the
copious coverage of crime and control in news media and the dominance of
crime as a theme in popular entertainment. It also highlights that media
influences often deviate from official statistics and that media play a role in
constructing 'crime waves'. Attention is paid to the tendency of crime news to
focus on individual crimes without wider context, and the role of police as
important sources of crime information in the media.
The article suggests caution in making assumptions about both the production
and reception of media based on analyzes of media content alone. It emphasizes
the diversity and complexity of media organizations, production, formats, content
and target groups. It argues that the concept of "media" should not be
considered as a homogeneous entity and emphasizes the need to take diversity
into account in research.
Furthermore, the article points out the challenges of effects research on media
influences on audiences, highlighting the importance of context and political and
institutional effects. It argues that the direct political and institutional effects are
only part of the solution and that more attention needs to be paid to the broader
role of crime stories in the lives of individuals and in contemporary culture. It
emphasizes the importance of interpretive research into the role of crime stories
in the meanings that individuals attribute to them and calls for an in-depth
analysis of the interaction between crime news and crime stories.
,The social construction of crime and crime control
Nicole Hahn Rafter
This text discusses the impact of constructivism in the field of criminal justice.
The constructivist approach analyzes how social information is produced,
disseminated, verified and refuted. In criminal law, this approach focuses on
understanding the processes by which knowledge is formed within the field, and
examines the relationships between social structures, law, criminal acts and
perception.
The article identifies four areas within criminal law where the constructivist
tradition has developed:
1. Social Histories of Criminal Justice Practice and Theory: The social history
of criminal justice initially included unanalytical narratives but evolved to include
labeling theory. It asked questions about punishment, deviance and the creation
of rules. Researchers explored the origins of criminal justice institutions and their
connections to broader social changes.
2. Critical Criminology: Originating in the 1970s, critical criminology
attempted to reframe criminal justice issues in Marxist terms. It analyzed how
social class influences criminal justice, treating crime and crime control as
instruments of class struggle. Despite its struggles as a disciplinary movement,
critical criminology contributed to constructivist analysis by questioning
established views on crime and social control.
3. Research on the Victimization of Women: Grassroots organizations
initiated this area, challenging traditional definitions of crimes against women.
Feminist activists worked to change legal definitions, especially in rape cases,
and criticized the criminal justice system for its treatment of female victims. This
work emphasized the political nature of criminal justice and demonstrated that
crime, perpetrators and victims are socially constructed.
4. Feminist Theory: Feminist theorists examined the social construction of
gender within criminal justice. They examined gender differences in offender
coping and criticized criminological theories that focused exclusively on male
delinquency. Feminist analyzes challenged traditional views and sought a
nuanced understanding of female crime, examining criminological discourses as
part of the construction of gender.
The constructivist approach within criminal law helps to put practices into
perspective, problematizes received wisdom and historicizes assumptions.
Despite obstacles such as the dominant professional model and political
conservatism, constructivism has become a valuable addition to traditional
approaches, contributing to greater self-awareness and epistemological
sophistication within the field.
This text discusses the theorization of media and crime. Although a simplification
of the historical development of two areas of research (noting the importance of
the broader field of sociology), this chapter has traced the origins and
development of key theories that have shaped the contours of both criminology
and media studies . It has attempted to provide a broad overview of points of
, convergence and conflict between the two. It has been established that there is
no consistent, generally accepted and formalized body of statements that can
easily be labeled as 'media theory' or 'criminological theory'. Although such
terms are widely used, neither field is unified by the development of a standard
set of concepts, a coherent set of hypotheses, or an overall explanatory
framework. Nevertheless, it has been argued that a sense of progressive
development is nevertheless visible in ideas about media and crime.
In summary, the theoretical anchors on which our analysis is based are as
follows:
• Media effects: Early theories linking media and crime were characterized
by an overwhelmingly negative view of both the role of the media and the
susceptibility of the public. Although academic researchers in the UK have
strongly resisted attempts to demonstrate the existence of a causal link between
media and crime, ideas about potentially harmful media that can cause negative
or antisocial consequences continue to play a central role in popular or
mainstream discourses , which are also included in the policy.
• Strain theory and anomie: Merton's development of anomie helps us
understand the tension created by a discrepancy between the cultural goals of
wealth and status, and legitimate means of achieving those goals. For those with
few resources to achieve success through normal, legal channels, the mass
media – especially the advertising industry – can be seen as creating
immeasurable pressure, creating a vast well of desire with little chance of
fulfillment. It is in such circumstances that some individuals pursue the culturally
desirable goals of success and material wealth through illegitimate paths.
• Dominant ideology: With the rediscovery of Marx's writings on social
structure, scholars in the 1960s and 1970s focused on the extent to which
consent is "manufactured" by the powerful along ideological lines. According to
the dominant ideology approach, the power to criminalize and dismiss certain
groups and behaviors lies with the ruling elite, who - in a process known as
'hegemony' - gain popular approval for their actions through social institutions,
including the media.
• Pluralism: This perspective emerged as a challenge to hegemonic models
of media power. Pluralism emphasizes the diversity and plurality of available
media channels, countering the view that any ideology can be dominant if it does
not correspond to what people experience as true.
• Postmodernism and cultural criminology: Postmodernism is a notoriously
difficult subject to understand. Within criminology, postmodernism involves the
abandonment of the concept of crime and the construction of a new language
and mindset to define processes of criminalization and reprimand. Cultural
criminology embraces these postmodern ideas and supports them with more
'radical' but established concerns, also drawing attention to the fact that crime
can have a carnivalesque quality; it is exciting, performative and dangerous.
