CRIMINOLOGY

Criminology

Criminology

Introduction

The amount of crime depicted throughout the media is astonishing and it is only natural that the public's outcry for harsher penalties, stringent laws and heavier enforcement is on the rise. Crime is an obvious social problem, due to it's attention and focus in the media, but it can be explained in an assortment of ways. For example, it can be seen as being derived from a social context, such as poverty and homelessness, or at the opposite end of the spectrum, constructed by the financially elite in defense of themselves (adbusters.org) and to further their own gains.

Discussion

The average hours of television consumed by the general Canadian population is approximately 21.2 hours per week and 48.9% of the general population read a newspaper on a daily basis. Therefore, with the vast numbers of readers and viewers of media in Canada being exposed to the constant streams of menacing headlines, it is no wonder why the media provokes a state of fear for the viewers and readers alike. These stories give the average viewer and reader the status of their community, neighbouring provinces and the entire country; however, how legitimate are these headlines? Are they representing the totality of society, or are they singling out certain dismal stories to gain an intense impact in hopes for more viewers and perhaps offer some entertainment value for the audience? The media is socially constructing fear amongst the general public in regards to criminal activity, and "…our news about the world does not necessarily reflect the reality…" (Stossel, 1997)

FERMENTING THE FEAR

So are we receiving a realistic portrayal of crime in the Canadian media? Should society be in a panic over the rise in criminal activity? The answer to both of these questions is simply, no. Due to the overwhelming amount of criminal activity exposed in the media, it "…has created a perception that the world is troubled and unsafe, gloomy and sinister"(Distorted Picture 1996). However, if we examine the Canadian statistics in relation to crime represented in the media, we would be rather surprised by the findings.

The airtime in which crime is being delivered in media is steadily increasing, whereas crime itself is declining. In 1989 CTV and CBC spent approximately 10% of their news reports revolving around murder, when the statistics sat at a rate of 2.4 per 100,000; however, in 1995, when the murder rate in the country reduced to 2.04 per 100,000, the murder coverage jumped to 25% (Fleras 2001). According to Canadian statistics, the overall incidents of crime are actually declining from 8,956 per 100,000 in 1998 to 8,386.6 per 100,000 in 2001 (Heiner 2000). Both property crimes and violent crimes are progressively declining from 1998 (Heiner 2000). The public view "…that we're in the middle of a crime wave" (Heiner 2000)can be derived from only the media, as the statistics give the public nothing to really fear. Although, we can clearly see an increase in assaults, we must also take into consideration the drastic increase ...