Moral panic

The public has always employmentd the Mass Media as the primary source of development about most topics especially crime. The Mass Media has the power to convey messages and ideas to a large audience solely how truthful or factual these messages are has long been a debate of sociologist, due to news circulate being so criminogenic for example, Ericson et al (1987). Study of news-making in Toronto found that a remarkably high isotropy of news was about deviance and control.Ranging from 45. % in newspaper to 71. 5% on radio stations. ( Maguire,Morgan and Reiner 2012, p. 248) thereof this use of Media may create fear amongst the public which in turn seduces Moral panic and Folk Devils. Therefore I will outline and Illustrate the term Moral Panic and the effect it has on the public, overly aiming to show the role the Media plays in creating panic. Moral panicis a term use to describe groups or subculture as a threat to the way of life for societys, norms and values.There are seve ral organisations who claims a oral crack-up such as the Mass Media, Politicians and churches(Tim Newburn 2013, p. 96). Stanley Cohens research into the Mods and Rockers gave a clear view of the media classifying these subcultures as abnormal and creating panic amongst the public. Cohens had three main ideas to illustrate how Moral Panic was created during the 1960s. Firstly Exaggeration and Distortion. The exaggeration of earnestness. the proportion engaged in violence. Secondly Prediction. Media coverage regularly assumed so farts would be even worse.Lastly Symbolisation Mods and Rockers appearance became associated with delinquency and deviant behaviour. (Tim Newburn 2013, p. 97). This indicates that the Medias use of emotive language used in broadcast and newspapers created Folk Devils of these subcultures and wide scale panic in Britain and subsequently creating stigma towards Mods and Rockers. moreover there has been criticism of the Moral Panic Theory. Jewkes (2004) sta tes that the audience may not be as capable to the Moral Panic as Cohen mentioned. Tim Newburn 2013, p. 101).This indicates that the public are more aware of issues in society and are able to think rationally without becoming fearful of news reports. Secondly an occasional over-reading of the extent of panickyness in media representations. This demonstrates that Cohen had no real evidence to prove that moral panics created panic amongst society, as it would be difficult to neb the level of concern throughout communities. To conclude Moral Panic may sometimes be created by the Mass-Media through the se of emotive and sensationalised heading to make a story more entertaining or appealing to its audience.Through this process they create fear amongst the public and stigmatize subcultures which in turn may cause these social groups to be the truth out for themselves and come to their own conclusion without relying on the media as a primary source of information.