Relationship between Crime,Media & Criminology

1. A Presentation
on
Crime, Media & Criminology
PRESENTED BY
AV I J I T S A R K E R S U B R ATA
L L B ( H O N S . ) ; 2 N D Y E A R
R O L L N O : 2 2 2
D E P T. O F L AW, U N I V E R S I T Y O F D H A K A .

2. An example what can Media do?
 Agartala Conspiracy Case

3. How public concept of Crime grown up?
 Most people's ideas about crime and
criminals were NOT formed through personal
experience instead we form much of our
ideas based on media depictions and
illustrations of crime and criminals

4.  There is neither enough space in newspapers nor
enough air time on television to cover all, or even
most for that matter, criminal activities.
 Research has shown that Violent crimes are more
likely to gain the attention of the media
 However, does the media cover violent crimes
because of their interest or ours???

5. What does the Media depict?
 Bob Roshier has shown that there are three factors
influencing the selection of media crime stories
1. Unusual Circumstances
2. Dramatic elements
3. Involvement of famous people --
e.g., Rubel Hossain(A Bangladeshi cricketer)

6. Crime and Media
 Crime is used to sell
 Television portrays crime and criminals in a
stereotypical manner
 Most crime is violent, interpersonal,
pathological
 Glassner – “The Construction of Fear”

7. Criminological research on media images
A number of analyses on the influence of
media depictions of crime, criminals,
criminality, and victims exist.
According to Surette (1992)  The media has a
profound influence on the general public
understanding of crime.

8. Media Images
Various sources of information, commentary, and
debate on crime exist in print, video and electronic
media outlets that establish the parameters of
perceived wisdom on crime.
Marsh (1991) demonstrates that most media
illustrate crime in a mainstream and sensational
fashion. One facet of this overly dramatic style has
been the manner in which victims are presented.
The media, however, is not alone in dramatizing
certain kinds of victims.

9. Even the officials…
 Eitzen and Timmer 1989:39 
 Official crime statistics themselves fare no better because they
pay far more attention to violent and property crime than to
corporate and white-collar crime

10. Street vs. White Collar crime
 Most research on media portrayals are based on
street crime rather than white-collar or corporate
crime. “The most common image of a crime victim
is surely the victim of murder, rape, robbery, burglary
or some other conventional crime.”
 There can be little question that most people are
likely to fear being victimized by such crime”
(Friedrichs 1996: 58).

11. Who to fear?
 Rather than fearing white-collar or corporate crime,
most Bangladeshi citizens are unaware of corporate
misconduct because they are focused on
conventional crime.

12. THANK YOU
FOR
LISTENING!