The Construction of Crime News by the Media: A Class Activity
Crosby Hipes · TRAILS: Teaching Resources and Innovations Library for Sociology · 2020
Research suggests there is a disconnect between crime-related perceptions and realities in the United States. For example, many students enter social science courses believing that violent crime rates are increasing, when in fact the opposite is true. This class activity encourages students to critically analyze the media as a filter of information rather than as an accurate reflection of reality. Students begin by examining the concepts of agenda-setting and framing. Then, in small groups they will utilize criteria established by Jewkes and Linnemann (2017) to investigate and categorize what makes the news in both local and national media outlets. They will compare their findings to those of their classmates to develop a broader understanding of the news-making process. Finally, they will assess their findings with regard to the media as a filter and the emotions (e.g., fear) produced by the distorted news-making process.