Media Influence and Crime Myths
People who watch the News on television believe there is a lot more crime than there really is, according to researchers. This apparent effect of watching televised Newscasts is in addition to the effect of crime programs, movies, and made-for-television dramas which also perpetuate crime myths. Most people are unaware that they believe in a myth. The myth of crime has been rhetorically constructed through discourse and has sunk into the collective consciousness. People talk about it until they believe it. Once a myth is embedded in consciousness, it is difficult to dislodge. This essay will focus on the role the media plays in the maintenance and perpetuation of crime myths and some ideas for dislodging them.
Television (radio, too) exists and profits by the sale of advertising. The more viewers expected to watch a program, the more money TV executives can get for the time they sell to advertisers. The programs themselves are considered "fillers." It's the advertising time (and money) that counts and is important. Thus, producers and TV executives are interested is what will draw the biggest audiences. Crime apparently sells. People seem to be fascinated by dramatic accounts of crime and by stories that center around crime. Witness the popularity of recent programs which focus on crime scene evidence. "CSI" has been such a hit that many spin-offs are already on the air as well, and on cable TV "reality shows" like "Cold Case Files" and "American Justice" purport to document true crimes and how they were solved. Yet, even the reality shows present a distorted picture of police work. For one thing, the crime has to be solved in half-an-hour. Most of the drudgery and set-backs must, therefore, be cut from the story (and the part-time nature of police crime-solving work -- if what Bohm says is true, and the police only solve crimes about 10% of the time). Plus, because there are so many of these programs on now, it gives the impression that murderers (particularly...
Media Violence Blaming Social Violence on the Media Violence in the media has statistically increased in the last decade, yet incidences of societal violence have not risen along with it. This contradicts the claim by many that violence in television shows, the movies, video games, and music has greatly contributed to the depravity of those exposed to such violence, including children. While increased exposure to the media presents increased exposure to
A in millions) Current in millions) Provided by Federal Bureau of Investigation as of September 18, 2006. www.whitehouse.gov/goodbye/3ae6b1ac94aa97e6650780f280890a7c81100e47.html" CHART: National Correctional Populations National Correctional Populations The number of adults in correctional population has been increasing. A in millions) Current million in millions) Provided by Bureau of Justice Statistics as of November 30, 2006. (Social Statistics Briefing Room, 2006) More Statistics Violence in the Media Huston and colleagues have estimated that the average 18-year-old will have viewed 200,000 acts of violence on
The spin that often surrounds war, is fundamentally damaging even if it is intended as damage control for the nation as a whole, or at the very least the leaders of the nation. Public Belief It has been hinted at within this work that the old adage, the public does not necessarily believe what it hears, but it hears what it believes is at play when it comes to media. As
Yes, the Oedipus complex aspect of Shakespeare it gives us and which in turn invites us to think about the issue of subjectivity, the myth and its relation to psychoanalytic theory. (Selfe, 1999, p292-322) Hemlet and Postcolonial theory Postcolonial theory was born as a result of the publication of the famous work of Edward Said, Orientalism (1978). This theory claim that some authors (Paul Gilroy, Achille Mbembe, Francoise Verges, etc.) and
In 1999, the average person in England and Wales watched 26 hours of television and listened to 19 hours of radio per week - this amounts to 40% of their waking life, and the figures are higher for youth and in particular working class youth (Young). Not only has the quantity of media usage increased, but the level of violence depicted in the media has increased dramatically, due in part
The extreme power of this new cultural tool is the very nature -- it depends on nothing but an electronic connection. it, like many things in the modern world, is instantaneous, satisfying the 21st century need to have both dependence and independence based on our own decision or whim. Therein lies the confusion for many -- just how real is an electronic friendship that can exist without really "knowing"
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