CJUS 211: CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Lecture 4: Crime & The Media
ROADMAP
TODAY NEXT CLASS
▪ Crime & The Media ▪ Quiz One
▪ The Five Media Frames ▪ The Criminal Justice
▪ Common False Beliefs System and How it Works
CRIME & THE MEDIA
▪ For many people, their primary source of
information about crime in their communities is
from media: newspapers, television, social media,
etc.
▪ Take a moment and discuss with your neighbor one
of your first memories of media coverage of crime
CRIME & THE MEDIA
▪ While it is important to have an informed public,
even traditional media sources are not required to
give balanced, unbiased coverage of events.
▪ In fact, much of what we see is skewed or even
outright false.
CRIME & THE MEDIA
CRIME & THE MEDIA
CRIME & THE MEDIA
▪ This creates a cycle whereby the public reacts
to media accounts and politicians respond even
in cases where there is no problem at all.
CRIME & THE MEDIA
CRIME & MEDIA
Discuss:
▪ What responsibility should the traditional media
companies have for offering balanced, truthful
coverage?
▪ What about social media platforms?
MEDIA FRAMES
Media frames are categories of portrayals of crime
intended to make the information easier to process
and understand. This makes the story easy to share,
but does not capture nuance
MEDIA FRAMES
The five common crime and justice related media
frames are:
1. Faulty Criminal Justice System
2. Blocked Opportunities
3. Social Breakdown
4. Racist System
5. Violent Media
1. FAULTY CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
In this frame the root cause of crime is a lack of law
and order. Most crimes occur because people feel
that they can get away with it due to the problems of
the current system.
2. BLOCKED OPPORTUNITIES
In this frame crime results from a lack of legal
options for success. Offenders therefore are poor,
uneducated, unemployed, and face discrimination.
3. SOCIAL BREAKDOWN
In this frame crime is explained by a breakdown of
family and community. Crime increases when
divorce rates are high, there are many unwed
mothers, and other “nonconventional” family groups
exist.
4. RACIST SYSTEM
In this frame the problem is not crime, but the
criminal justice system itself. Agents of the court,
police, and corrections are tools of oppression.
5. VIOLENT MEDIA
In this frame crime is a result of the overwhelming
volume of violence seen in media, video games, and
music. The constant exposure to these violent
images lead to a normalization of crime and abuse.
COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS OF CRIME
The textbook provides the following list of falsely held
beliefs that result from media coverage of crime:
• Women are more likely to be • Only guilty people confess to
victims of crime than men. crimes.
• Murder is one of the most • Black people are more likely
frequently committed crimes. to victimize white people than
• Most crime committed in the other Black people
United States is violent in • Most people accused of a
nature. crime go to trial.
• Strangers commit most
crimes.
COMMON MISCONCEPTIONS OF CRIME
Discuss with your neighbor(s):
▪ Why do you think these false beliefs are so
common?
▪ What are some other false beliefs about crime that
you have encountered?
▪ How should we go about debunking these beliefs?
LOOKING AHEAD
NEXT CLASS
▪ Quiz One (Wednesday) - bring your notes!
▪ The Criminal Justice System and How it Works
