RACIAL PROFILING AND THE MEDIA

Racial Profiling and the Media

Racial Profiling and the Media

Introduction

Nowadays, the problem of racial profiling becomes more apparent. The racial profiling practice in the context of law enforcement refers to the use of racial factors in targeting criminals. On the other hand, mews media can also play a constructive role in highlighting the perceptions of judicial, crime, punishment, law enforcement and judicial system.

This essay studies two papers “Racial Profiling and Criminal Justice” written by Jesper Ryberg and “Mediated Justice: Turkish Newspapers' Coverage of Controversial Criminal Cases” written by Asli Tunc. These papers roam around two concepts that are racial profiling and law enforcement, also address the role of media in highlighting racial profiling.

Discussion

Purpose of the Research

The purpose of Ryberg paper is to scrutinize a way through which “hit rate argument” could be confronted. If it is supposed that the profiling based on racism results in arresting of more offenders, and if there are no restraints based on discrimination against certain group. Furthermore, if profiling does not have a significant effect on the non-targeted groups' rate of crime then the argument of hit rate is not significant (Ryberg, 2011).

The purpose of Tunc study is to highlight the role of media in addressing controversial cases, which embrace significant importance in the perception of public regarding justice, particularly in Turkey. This paper highlights the importance of media in creating the perception among people.

Who or What Was Studied

Ryberg research highlights the racial profiling as a tactic of law enforcement facilitates the police in targeting the ones who have the propensity to be future criminals. He argue that racial profiling facilitate in capturing more criminals. This argument is not only contradicts the traditional discussion that argued non-discriminatory attitude towards minority groups, also signifies the racial profiling emerges as a key tool in the war against terrorism. However, these claims of Ryberg clear challenged.

In this study three sub-arguments were stated to address the above main argument. First argument is based on empirical ground, and stated that common sense is given more importance over empirical evidence. Second argument based on normative grounds, which argue that the cost of racial profiling override catching more offenders. Third argument placed an objection that criminals hit rate as a result of racial profiling is not at all related to decrease in the number of offenders.

Tunc undertake three case studies resulted in an immense ...