CRIME WAVES AS IDEOLOGY

• NCJ Number: 54706
• Journal: Social Problems Volume: 25 Issue: 5 Dated: (JUNE 1978) Pages: 531-543
• Author(s): M FISHMAN
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 13 pages
• Corporate Author: Soc for the Study of Social Problems
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America
• Note: REVISED VERSION OF A PAPER PRESENTED AT THE 1977 ANNUAL MEETING OF THE SOCIETY FOR THE STUDY OF SOCIAL PROBLEMS

Annotation

THIS STUDY EXPLORES HOW CRIME WAVES ARE CONSTRUCTED BY THE MEDIA AND HOW THEY CONTRIBUTE TO THE IDEOLOGY OF CRIME, AND A CASE STUDY INVOLVING A CRIME WAVE AGAINST THE ELDERLY IN NEW YORK CITY IS DISCUSSED.

Abstract

CRIME WAVES INVOLVE A KIND OF SOCIAL AWARENESS OF CRIME, CRIME THAT IS BROUGHT TO THE PUBLIC'S CONSCIOUSNESS. IN LATE 1976, NEW YORK CITY EXPERIENCED A MAJOR CRIME WAVE. THE CITY'S THREE DAILY NEWSPAPERS AND FIVE LOCAL TELEVISION STATIONS REPORTED A SURGE OF VIOLENCE AGAINST THE ELDERLY. THE CRIME WAVE LASTED APPROXIMATELY 7 WEEKS, EVENTUALLY RECEIVING NATIONAL TELEVISION AND NEWSPAPER COVERAGE. TO ANALYZE THIS CRIME WAVE, TWO TYPES OF DATA WERE COLLECTED. PARTICIPANT OBSERVATION WAS CONDUCTED FROM NOVEMBER 1976 TO APRIL 1977 AT A LOCAL TELEVISION STATION, AND A RECORD WAS KEPT OF ALL NEWS RELATED TO CRIME AGAINST THE ELDERLY REPORTED FROM SEPTEMBER 1976 THROUGH FEBRUARY 1977 IN TWO NEWSPAPERS. A TOTAL OF 89 STORIES CONCERNING CRIMES AGAINST THE ELDERLY WERE FOUND, WITH 56 STORIES OR 63 PERCENT OCCURRING DURING THE CRIME WAVE PERIOD. INDIVIDUAL CRIMES COME TO BE SEEN AS A CRIME WAVE AS A RESULT OF METHODS BY WHICH NEWS IS ORGANIZED. CRIME THEMES GIVE TNE NEWS A PRESENTATIONAL ORDER, AND THE SELECTION OF NEWS ON THE BASIS OF THEMES IS ONE COMPONENT IN THE IDEOLOGICAL PRODUCTION OF CRIME NEWS. CRIME THEMES REPRESENT POTENTIAL CRIME WAVES; A NEWS ORGANIZATION CANNOT MAKE A CRIME WAVE WITHOUT THE COLLABORATION OF OTHER MEDIA REPORTING THE SAME CRIME THEME. CRIME WAVES, THEREFORE, EMERGE OUT OF INTERACTION BETWEEN NEWS ORGANIZATIONS. OVERLAPPING CHARACTERIZES NEWS JUDGMENTS AND, WHEN JOURNALISTS NOTICE EACH OTHER REPORTING THE SAME CRIME THEME, THAT THEME BECOMES ENTRENCHED IN A COMMUNITY OF MEDIA ORGANIZATIONS. IN ORDER FOR A CRIME THEME TO GROW INTO A CRIME WAVE, THERE MUST BE A CONTINUOUS SUPPLY OF CRIME INCIDENTS THAT CAN BE SEEN AS INSTANCES OF A CRIME THEME. THE POLICE SUPPLY NEWS ORGANIZATIONS WITH AN ASORTMENT OF CRIME INCIDENTS ON A DAILY BASIS. ONCE CRIME THEMES RECEIVE HEAVY COVERAGE IN THE MEDIA, AUTHORITIES CAN USE THEIR POWER TO MAKE NEWS IN AN ATTEMPT TO AUGMENT, MODIFY, OR DENY A BURGEONING CRIME WAVE. DATA ON THE CRIME WAVE IN NEW YORK CITY ARE PROVIDED, AND REFERENCES ARE CITED. (DEP)