A Justice Site
Media, Crime and Criminal Justice Preparations
Mirror Sites:
CSUDH - Habermas - UWP - Archives
California State University, Dominguez Hills
University of Wisconsin, Parkside
Soka University Japan - Transcend Art and Peace
Created: July 27, 2003
Latest Update: October 2, 2003
jeannecurran@habermas.org
takata@uwp.edu
CRMJ 490-01: Media, Crime, and Criminal JusticeYou will be held accountable for purposes of grading for the readings and exercises listed here. There will be no "testing." That means that you will not have to live in anxious anticipation of what we will ask and how much you will have to know. Instead, we will provide weekly discussion questions, lectures, essays, and concepts we feel that you should know as a result of having taken this course. You will assure us of that learning and receive your grade for the questions and concepts about which you choose to write and talk with us. In addition you will find detailed explanations and examples on our grading policies in the first week's reading.* * * * * Week 6: Week of October 5, 2003
Topic: The Social Construction of Crime and Justice in the News Media
Friday, October 10th -- Guest Lecturer: Art Howell of Racine Police Department
Preparatory Readings:
- Surette. Media, crime, and criminal justice. -- Chapter 3.
- Potter and Kappeler. Constructing crime. -- Chapter 12-15.
Lecture related links:
--- Martha Minow. Making All the Difference: Exclusion, Inclusion and American Law. Check out this link Martha Minow on the Dear Habermas site.
Concepts to be covered:
- standard reporting style
- newsworthiness
- info-tainment
- episodic and thematic news
- reality programming
- unintended consequences
Discussion Questions:
- How realistic do you feel crime-and-justice news is? (Surette: 84)?
- How would you change the news coverage of crime and justice? Could you still turn a profit with these changes? Why. (Surette:84)
- Discuss the pros and cons of the news media becoming evidence gatherers in criminal proceedings such as in the O.J. Simpson case, where they developed leads, found and interviewed witnesses, and searched for evidence. (Surette: 84)
- In chapters 12-15 in Potter and Kappeler, what are the positive and negative effects of constructing crime? Why.
Suggested Creative Activities:
- New Creative Project with CSUDH students! Check out Visual Essays Project. If interested, let me know.
- Compare and contrast both the front stage and back stage of the news media. Find out how news is "made" by talking to someone in the mass media profession.
- Compare and contrast several different news broadcasts (local and/or national). What are some of the similarities and differences? Why.
- Find and watch an "info-tainment" program that relates to crime and justice. Describe what it was about. Explain how it relates to this week's readings. Why.
Recommended Readings:
- Edward J. Gerald. News of Crime: Courts and Press in Conflict. This was the other book Stephen Bedwell mentioned to me.
- Nicholas Cowdery. Getting Justice Wrong: Myths, Media and Crime. recommended by Stephen Bedwell.
- Marshall McLuhan. The Medium is the Massage: An Inventory of Effects.
- David Kidd-Hewitt and Richard Osborne. Crime and the Media.
- Sheila Brown. Crime and Law in Media Culture.
Media Sources:
Left/Right Perspectives - Cursor - New York Times
Arts and Letters Daily - The Economist - The Guardian
Wall Street Journal -The Weekly Standard - The Nation
Los Angeles Times - Chicago Tribune - The Washington Post
Cursor's Al Jazeera Archive - Ha'aretz - Palestine Monitor
Indymedia - BBC News - New Profile - Progressive Sociologists Network