Media & crime

Question 1

Media representation of crime

Answer 1

Most of our knowledge about crime comes
indirectly, from the media.
There are many different types of media,
and they can portray crime as fictional or
real or both.

Question 2

NEWS VALUES

Answer 2

Immediacy
Dramatisation
Personalisation
Higher Status Persons and celebrities
Simplification
Novelty/Unexpectedness
Risk
Violence

Question 3

Immediacy

Answer 3

refers to whether the crime is close enough geographically to the readers of the article and if it is happening now.

Question 4

Dramatisation

Answer 4

how exciting the story can be presented through drama and action.

Question 5

Personalisation

Answer 5

If events can be personalised easily they are more likely to get into the news.

Question 6

Higher Status

Answer 6

events surrounding the famous and the powerful are often seen as more newsworthy.

Question 7

Simplification

Answer 7

the simpler the event, the more likely it is to be reported

Question 8

Unexpectedness

Answer 8

rare, unpredictable and surprising events have more newsworthiness than routine events.

Question 9

Risk

Answer 9

refers to the likelihood of the reader becoming a victim.

Question 10

Violence

Answer 10

this enables the media to report a story using drama, which makes more readers interested.

Question 11

Fictional Representation
Mendel (1984)

Answer 11

Between 1945 and 1984 over 10 billion crime thrillers were sold worldwide
25% of prime time TV and 20% of films that were released related to crime
Crime dramas generally portray offenders as higher-status, White, middle-aged males. Victims are shown similarly, but with a higher proportion of females. In recent years, victims have become more central in TV crime dramas - audiences are encouraged to identify with them.