Crime in America Notes Essay Example

effective mass communication. In recent 20-25 years, due to the development of continuous news cycles, news reporting has become increasingly instant and lifelike. There's common agreement that media can display bias, with different channels representing varying viewpoints. Bias pertains to portraying specific media incidents with distortion and not accurately reflecting all facets of the story.

Deception or making false statements in factual bias is viewed as the most egregious form of media bias.Media may sometimes be misguided by experts; although it's usually unintentional.Preference bias involves selectively narrating stories and choosing which ones to report in the initial place.This type of bias could be influenced by viewership numbers or organizational views.For instance, Fox News might refrain from airing pro-Obama content while MASC might avoid anti-Obama content.But preference bias can also entail splitting statistical hairs and it's both prevalent and anticipated.

An ongoing argument exists over whether factual or selection bias is more harmful.
The majority concur that factual bias is undesirable, but perspectives differ regarding the gravity of selection bias. Some suggest that if audiences are conscious of selection bias and open to seeking more data, it might not be as harmful.

There exist several interpretations about media prejudice. The Ruling Elitist/Top Down Theory postulates that media acts as an instrument for the dominant elite, reinforcing their views and preserving their control. This theory proposes that people are manipulated into adopting the beliefs desired by the ruling class. Institutional supremacy or hegemony factors in this concept, with media either voluntarily compliant or forced into endorsing the governing class.

In contrast, The Money Machine Theory emphasizes how ratings and monetary gain influence media prejudice. In a setting driven

by viewership rates, media entities strive to maximize profits by producing stories tailored appease larger audiences hence boosting their revenue.

Other theories include The Grass Roots Theory and Professional Subculture Theory which also delve into aspects of media bias; however no further details concerning these ideologies has been provided.

To proceed with chapter 1 reading , kindly reach out to [email protected] contact details have been furnished for any additional information or inquiries pertaining to source.The Media as Myth-makers -The Grass Roots Theory also referred to as populist or bottom up perspective concentrates on securing maximum viewer count or audience.
The emphasis is not on aiding the upper class or focusing on financial gain. The Professional Subculture theory underscores the media's obligation to foster trust with their audience and avert loss of faith in them. Nevertheless, they occasionally err. A common critique is that news stories are delayed due to thorough source verification by the media. Sensationalism, aimed at astonishing, exciting or eliciting strong responses for increased viewership, often involves selection bias. This ties into media bias as sensational news items generate higher ad income and distract from the ruling elite Tories' favored narrative. Media tends to exaggerate crimes and contrasts positive news with subsequent negative ones which taints the initial good information shared. Sports coverage takes up a significant portion of reporting time.

Moreover, governments participate in creating myths; they have distinct aims and strive for consistent messaging while preserving status quo through narrative control. Government funding supports Saga's media public service announcements (PSAs). Daily briefings occur at the White House outlining key storylines for the press to concentrate on. This symbiotic relationship between government and media

ensures government remains a major new-source influencing public sentiment and molding issues.The media can be used to redirect the public's focus or guide it towards specific issues, as demonstrated by the conversion of the 9/11 incident into an Iraq war. The integration of myth creators can be seen in two stages. Initially, there was a fusion of crime shows and local government officials, which acted more as educational and informative platforms rather than being sensationalized. However, during the late 'ass, this format evolved into a more national orientation with increased sensationalism - popular television programs like America's Most Wanted and Cops promoted this approach. This new style prioritizes entertainment and sensation over information, marking the advent of reality TV. Procedural dramas such as Law & Order, CSS, and First 48 also support this trend. Yet these shows might foster inaccurate views about crime by focusing on assaults by strangers rather than those committed by acquaintances to victims. As such they contribute to generating crime myths.

When crafting a crime myth several factors must be taken into account: firstly, coverage decisions for certain crimes should rely on their ability to captivate viewers' attention; secondly, social context significantly influences narrative framing - for instance presenting a bombing act as international terrorism; thirdly societal economic conditions have potential use to instill fear among public - highlighting depreciating property values or insecurity when out at night.
In conclusion, effective marketing is vital to the success of a crime myth. The anticipation of future segments keeps the audience hooked.

Overstatement plays an essential role in developing fear-driven crime myths. There's often intentional vagueness, giving the impression that crimes are rampant.

For instance, school shootings are frequently lumped together in media reports despite schools being relatively safe for children. Additionally, extreme events like mass shootings, police murders, juvenile offenses, offenses against law-abiding citizens and home invasions receive disproportionate coverage.

Offenders from minority groups also get more media attention particularly when non-minorities are victims. Moreover, there's a common misuse of statistical data in these crime myths - raw figures or full context regarding how they're obtained aren't always shared with the public.

Generally speaking, crafting crime myths involves meticulously designing narratives that tap into societal fears and anxieties about criminal activities.The text repeatedly mentions 'difference', underlining that perpetrators are not like us; they're typically racial or ethnic minorities or belong to fringe cultures.The innocence theme is also touched on- it’s easier to sympathize with someone who is innocent so it makes sense that the media usually spotlights children as they’re viewed as incapable of victimization.
The text delves into the concept of endangered values, expressing that illicit activities impact our existence and pose a potential threat to American society as we perceive it. It then explores the selection and propagation of myths, highlighting the sway held by journalists and editors who can choose and disseminate narratives based on their personal political or societal beliefs. Media themes are also considered in-depth, with an emphasis on how certain themes gain priority due to their national significance or ability to attract viewership. Public selective retention is underscored too, faulting both media outlets and audiences for concentrating solely on a story's inflammatory elements. Ultimately, methods of myth fabrication are detailed including crafting stereotypes - such as race-based criminal stereotypes or immigrant ones

- along with opinion pooling from like-minded experts during myth creation. Using charged language like "rimming" versus "suspect", plus utilizing selective fact presentation (also known as bias selection or information control), can manipulate our perception towards crime. Unaccredited sources unwilling to go public record combined with ambiguous sources that piece together assorted remarks without accurate identification can further skew our comprehension of crime.
In the second lecture focusing on Crime Waves, Fears related to Crimes, and the Ideology of Crime Waves, emphasis is placed on understanding patterns rather than concentrating purely on percentages. Frequently in social studies surveys, one popular question pertains to our perception of crime. Typically, it features as one of society's primary worries. However, individuals often overestimate their probability of becoming a violent crime victim. Media bias heavily shapes our comprehension about crimes and criminals. The role that crime myths play in forming our fears is considerable. The media uses these existing fears cyclically; they hone in on these fears and magnify them, thus maintaining this pattern. Moreover, real facts concerning crimes or criminals are sometimes manipulated to stir up fear regarding an imminent wave of crime. Independent incidents are presented as though connected leading to a false sense of epidemic-like activity when in fact; actual waves of crime tend to be recurrent and are driven by economic conditions.

A common anxiety relates to severe and violent criminal activities; however statistically speaking we stand more chances at being non-violent victims instead.
Another misconception concerns the threat from strangers. While it is widely assumed that unknown people primarily commit offenses - most crimes happen by someone familiar with us.
The relationship between victims-offenders can be divided

into three main groups: intimate relationships followed by acquaintances then finally strangers.
This can be likened to a bullseye target where the nearest sphere is most probable for victimization. There's a common belief that criminals are prone to carry weapons, yet in reality, only a small number of crimes involve weapons, even when one is available. Another fallacy is that violent crimes invariably result in severe injuries, which isn't always true. Certain crime categories like White Collar crime attract more attention than others and often go unnoticed by the Uniform Crime Report (UCR). These misconceptions endure due to the propensity to single out and target groups unable to counter or debunk them. The UCR compiles crimes reported at local police stations and arrests made locally, not including federal or state agencies. High-profile crimes might be overstated because they necessitate police involvement and an official report. Police are likely called in instances of substantial property damage or theft, or when the crime involves significant violence. Furthermore, victims may exaggerate their own victimization severity.

Statistical data can be skewed with multiple independent factors influencing crime rates such as stolen property value and administrative errors. Moreover, collateral effects like departmental changes and introduction of modern technology like multi-camera police cars can impact crime rates.
For instance, the setup of the 911 system might also affect crime levels. Consideration should also be given to the unscientific display of data through tools such as the Crime Clock, which depicts crime as a uniform occurrence across time and places when it tends to be more prevalent during specific periods and in certain areas.

In addition, within the "Crime Waves as Ideology" article, there

is an emphasis on the aim of this study while providing different viewpoints on crime waves including both external and internal perspectives. The transition from a mere criminal theme to a full-blown crime wave can hinge upon action or lack thereof. Speaking up about the problem signifies taking action whereas doing nothing is considered inaction. Crime waves don't just pop up by themselves; they are created by journalists who link varying stories under one general theme. For a crime wave to persist, similar incidents must continually occur. The presence of these waves induces fear among citizens. Media has potential to skew focus through creating misdirections- school shootings serve as an example where various reasons and types of culprits come into play. Misdirection happens because children have higher chances of getting victimized outside schools than within them.This concludes what will be examined in Lecture 3's quiz regarding Boundaries and Types of Crimes along with Production Rates for Crimes.Crime Types encompass several forms each having its own nuances.
Individuals respond in diverse ways to various criminal activities, and even within one particular crime category like homicide, subtleties such as 1st degree murder versus manslaughter exist. Black posits three reasons why academic resources on crime are vital. Firstly, since we do not have personal experiences as victims or offenders, these materials can offer critical insights that have been thoroughly scrutinized for correctness. Secondly, examining primary sources allows a more extensive investigation beyond what is taught in the classroom without the prejudices often found in textbooks. Lastly, academic resources present a range of viewpoints on subjects related to crime.

The following text reviews several perspectives including advantages and disadvantages along with

differing political views. It also gives an opportunity to examine material from different periods and places - comparing the United States with other nations.

Crime Categories: 1.Offender specific category: This grouping emphasizes the connection between the offense and offender attributes. For instance, there's a distinction between a juvenile committing a crime and status offenses like consuming alcohol or cigarettes underage; other examples encompass sex offenders or acts that are only prohibited for individuals who belong to certain categories.
2.Felonies and Misdemeanors: Crimes are classified according to their severity level; such as repeat felons being under the "3 strikes law", resulting in losing specific rights like firearm possession due to their repeated felonious actions.Misdemeanors refer to offenses leading to less than 1 year of imprisonment.3.Index versus Non-index crimes: This classification scrutinizes the statistical categorization of crime data, emphasizing on those that the FBI collects and compiles statistics for.4.Crimes defined by harm and motive: This category classifies offenses based on the resultant damage and underlying reasons. The penalty correspondingly depends on the purpose behind its commission.Production of Crime Statistics: Many individuals consider crime rate statistics as a faithful representation of actual crime rates. However, this is not entirely accurate while it does shed some light on reality with many overlooking how these statistics are produced.

The given text deliberates over assessing criminal activity and deviance in an area. It points out that present strategies rely heavily on service calls but admits there might be inaccuracies since it only records incidents reported at local law enforcement levels.The passage suggests a novel approach named "crimes known to law enforcement", which reclassifies crime into three categories - undetected deviance, detected unsanctioned deviance,

and sanctioned deviance.Currently, only sanctioned deviances are taken into account; considering all categories may alter reported percentages of sanctioned violations with minor infractions increasing and major ones declining.
The text mentions forthcoming tests and deadlines for an article choice on school shootings and the societal structuring of crime detection. It gives details about the identification of deviance, such as the requirement to find out who committed a deviant act. The significance of associating a person with a crime is crucial; without it, any action or classification of the offense becomes impossible. Police's function in detecting crimes mainly involves reactive actions, reacting to citizen's calls. This reactivity is primarily selected to distribute resources effectively since identifying behavior tendencies can be time-consuming. Conversely, proactive police work focuses more on fostering positive community relations under community pressure. To generate precise crime rates, observational research methodology is utilized. Areas with similar demographic characteristics are chosen for examination. The research strictly concentrates on Calls For Service instead of ongoing crimes to maintain uniformity.The results suggest that these calls usually involve felonies and largely represent the victim's point of view as culprits are generally not present.The official documentation of a crime relies heavily on its legal severity, with minor offenses being reported around half the time.

The complainant's preference influences whether a report gets filed or an arrest occurs.
In instances of minor offenses where the plaintiff doesn't desire an arrest, law enforcement officials refrain from arresting the perpetrator. For major crimes, around a third of cases don't end up with a formal report being lodged, while two-thirds do. The probability of civilians reporting to police is contingent on their relationship with the

offender - it's more probable they'll notify authorities if they're unknown to the offender than when there's a closer bond between them and the victim. The demeanor of the complainant is also influential in determining outcomes. If perpetrators demonstrate respectfulness, charges might be lessened or not instigated at all for both major and minor crimes. Factors such as complainant's race and social status have impact too; racial prejudice is prominent in minor offenses whereas class discrimination prevails in law enforcement activities. Moreover, crime severity legally and what victims wish are essential factors that need attention.

The broader relational gap leads to higher chances of inclusion in official crime records.Additionally, attitude of those lodging complaints has significance too.It needs mentioning that no considerable issue pertaining to racial bias exists but there is evident class-based bias.The study emphasizes longitudinal analysis mainly scrutinizing crime patterns over time.During 1960s until mid-late twentieth century ,crime rates were fairly low.However,between 1960s through mid-1970s movements like Civil Rights Movement,Vietnam War,and Women's Rights Movement influenced fluctuation in crime rates.
During this period, a significant opposition to war emerged alongside increased drug use among veterans. Transitioning into the late 1970s and 1980s, crime rates were influenced by political conservatism against drugs and the market crash of '87. Despite an increase in crime during this time, it wasn't skyrocketing. This era also saw the rise of "3 strikes" laws and early myth makers. The text stops suddenly on February 20th with no further details provided. A notable reduction in crime occurred between 1992-1994, possibly driven by economic factors. Crime rates started declining from mid to late nineties and continued until around '03-'04 when they stabilized. It's crucial

to remember that crime rates fluctuate depending on location.

In terms of Exogenous effects explaining Crime Trends:
1.Anything outside of criminal policy like stock market crashes or tech/housing bubbles bursting can be classified as exogenous effects.
2.Economic stress remains a major factor although not as potent as it was from 1945-1987.It might be measured relatively or absolutely; absolute poverty is income-determined while relative poverty involves comparison with others.
3.Political legitimacy refers to authorities like law enforcement officials.The question revolves around whether people should obey authority figures or not.The civil rights movement exemplifies a situation where both law enforcement and demonstrators did not recognize each other's legitimacy. 4. There was a disintegration of family structure, marked by an increase in single-parent families and divorce rates, following WI.

The family holds a pivotal role in colonization and acts as a mechanism for societal control. Nevertheless, the escalating divorce rates undermine the power of the family as an agent of social regulation. Moreover, families function as guardians by shielding individuals from external forces. They safeguard not only society from the individual but also shield the individual from societal pressures. Other external elements also influence crime levels. Primarily, age demographics matter since certain groups, notably young people ranging from mid-teens to late 20s, are more likely to engage in criminal activities. The surge in crime during the 1980s and 1990s was shaped by the baby boom generation with declining rates observed as this generation aged out eventually. Secondly, changes in drug markets like introduction of crack cocaine back in 1984 made drugs such as cocaine heroin and prescription drugs more affordable for consumers Lastly routine activity shifts can affect crime statistics As

targets become increasingly vulnerable the likelihood of committing crimes rises However technological advancements including improved car security systems home surveillance cameras have significantly contributed to reduction in crime rates.

Moreover, society has shifted from being dependent on cash to relying more heavily on electronic modes of payment.