Crime and Media: How Has the Internet Changed Things?

     Outline

1. Crime and Media before the Internet
    a. Media Reporting of Crime
    b. Citizen ingestion of crime news stories

2. Traditional Efforts to overcome media
formats and stereotypes
     a. Direct Efforts by CJ agencies
    b. Newsmaking Criminology
    c. Limited Efforts by media outlets themselves

3. Opportunities made possible by the Internet
    a. Direct Interaction by CJ agencies
    b. Newsmaking Criminology
    c. Internet Communication Protocols
    d. New Media players

4. Are These having an impact?
     a. Direct Interaction by CJ agencies
    b. Newsmaking Criminology
     c. Internet Communication Protocols
    d. New Media players

1. Crime and Media before the Internet

a. Media Reporting of Crime

Crime News and crime stories have long been a staple of the media industry.

Quality and depth of media coverage of crime is to a great extent medium/format dependent. (e.g. newspaper, radio, TV; e.g. news broadcast, TV news magazine, TV talk show, TV news documentary)

There have been many studies done of how crime news stories are produced, covering everything from field reporting to the gatekeeping functions of editors and outlet owners. See: http://www.fsu.edu/~crimdo/gradc&m.html (reading list)
http://www.fsu.edu/~crimdo/lecture2.html

b. Citizen ingestion of crime news stories

There are 5 major media effects models: 1) hypodermic needle 2) limited effects 3) spiral of silence 4) cultivation theory and 5) vicarious release or catharsis. http://www.fsu.edu/~crimdo/lecture1.html

Broader issues related to socialization and how we as individuals construct our own internalized views of what constitutes reality need to be considered. http://www.fsu.edu/~crimdo/lecture1.html

A Case in Point: No matter how much the media dwells on the Clinton sex scandal, public opinion polls to date continue to say: We know what he did was wrong; he's doing a good job running the country; lets drop this topic and move on.
http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/zdnn_smgraph_display/0,4436,2147317,00.html

2. Traditional Efforts to overcome media formats and stereotypes

a. Direct Efforts by CJ agencies

CJ agencies have attempted to "manage" crime reporting in different ways. These include hiring public information officers, not permitting line officers to speak to the press, publishing press releases, choosing for release facts they know the media would want, etc.

Nevertheless, the media are free to edit these source materials any way they choose.

Some agencies have started creating their own media productions.
http://www.fsu.edu/~crimdo/lecture7.html

b. Newsmaking Criminology

Newsmaking criminology was an attempt by academic criminologists to directly impact media stereotypes concerning crime.

My own efforts along those lines met with "some" success. Recognition of how to approach each of the various media news formats is essential.
http://www.fsu.edu/~crimdo/lecture12.html
http://www.fsu.edu/~crimdo/tourists.html

c. Limited Efforts by media outlets themselves

Some TV news stations have recognized that they are feeding the public a steady diet of "bad news" with heavy concentration on crime. Civic journalism is the attempt to reach out to the public more aggressively in the reporting process, to listen to how citizens frame their problems and what citizens see as solutions to those problems. And then to use that information to enrich their newspaper or broadcast report. It is being practiced by newspapers and television stations in many cities, big and small. http://democracyplace.org/pew.html
http://www.screen.com/mnet/eng/med/class/teamed2/coverage.htm

3. Opportunities made possible by the Internet

a. Direct Interaction by CJ agencies

Agency use of Web sites is progressing from photos of the chief, to community policing, citizen surveys, press releases, etc.

b. Newsmaking Criminology

The Internet gives criminologists a new forum to present their concerns about media crime reporting.
http://www.fsu.edu/~crimdo/asc-sd.htm

c. Internet Communication Protocols

Discussion forums can be used for community problem solving.

Chat could allow direct citizen interaction with agencies

Web videoconferencing could be used as a tool to link individuals, community groups, and legal agencies.

Access to databases and GIS info could be used to answer citizen concerns about crime patterns.

d. New Media players

Anyone can put up a Web site and offer crime news or commentary.

This puts readers in the position of having to judge the validity of what they're viewing.
http://www.fsu.edu/~crimdo/courses/dl4.html#articles

4. Are These having an impact?

a. Direct Interaction by CJ agencies

Some agencies are adding these fatures
http://www.ou.edu/oupd/
http://www.ci.chi.il.us/CommunityPolicing/

Florida Department of Law Enforcement: Includes Missing Children Information Clearinghouse, Registered Sexual Predators, and Florida's Most Wanted Fugitives

b. Newsmaking Criminology

Diop's police deviance site has attracted NBC's attention.
http://www.policeabuse.com/

Media and public need to know how to find these sites.
http://www.fsu.edu/~crimdo/courses/dl4.html#5

Efforts to document who is using such sites are essential
http://www.fsu.edu/~crimdo/asc-sd.htm#feedback

c. Internet Communication Protocols

To date these technologies remain underutilized.

d. New Media players

Drudge Report
http://www.drudgereport.com/

Folks disgruntled with the CJ system
http://www.fsu.edu/~crimdo/due.html#reform

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