Overview

Media portrayals of crime and law are numerous. They form an object of inexhaustible interest to audiences. Many people learn about crime and law from the media, especially from newspapers, documentaries, books and films. Media portrayals often contributed decisively to changes in public opinion and politics. Also, deviant behaviour can be influenced by media. Media construct deviance (e.g. by identifying ‘folk devils‘), but media also offer cultural templates for people involved in deviant activities. Media stand accused of causing or informing crime.

• The module deals with the cultural and political significance of media and crime.
• The difference between the “real” and the “fiction” will be only one topic.
• Also, students learn about historic, political, legal and other backgrounds of media stories.
• Major crime narratives employed by media will be identified.
• The standard patterns of telling and other technical means of media are analysed.
• The audience’s reaction to media and its use of media also form a topic of the class.

Assessment Strategy

-threshold -Understand the basic relation of media and crime. Knowledge of typical narratives in the media on crime and law. Ability to analyse media portrayals of crime and to assess their message for the audience. Knowledge about the media portrayal's relation to law, economy and politics. Basic understanding of transdisciplinary media analyses. Ability to employ different disciplinary and theoretical perspectives. Basic knowledge on the significance of media narratives for different audiences. Demonstrate an attempt to avoid major weaknesses in presentation and accuracy. Demonstrate some level of critical assessment.

-good -A sound knowledge of media and crime and of its relation to law, economy and politics. Critical analysis of media and their message. Knowledge of a variety of media narratives on crime and law. A good understanding of and ability to discuss the nature of transdisciplinary media analysis. Employs and critically discusses several disciplinary and theoretical approaches to the analysis of media and crime. Detailed knowledge of the uses and effects of media stories by different actors and audiences. Good presentation and structure and only very few factual errors.

-excellent -As before, but also able to identify and critique alternative narratives which do not appear regularly in media stories on law and crime. Ability to relate the chosen methods of telling to different methods for newspaper articles, novels, songs and films of crime and law. Discusses critically the relevance of these portrayals for law, crime, the media, economy and politics drawing from good knowledge about these systems. Free of factual errors.

-another level-In addition to the above: Demonstrate knowledge of key areas of Crime and the Media. Have some, if only limited, evidence of background study into the relation of Crime and the Media. Be focussed on the question/task with only some irrelevant material and weaknesses in structure. Attempt to present relevant and logical arguments while not producing a large number of factual errors. Describe some major links between the topics discussed. Attempt to analyse and/or explain and critique problems. Be free of major weaknesses in presentation and accuracy.

Learning Outcomes

• Be able to describe how the media influence deviant behaviour and political responses.

• Be able to discuss the economic, legal, political and other socio-cultural phenomena which are typically related to media and crime.

• Be able to discuss and critically evaluate media products and to competently assess their function as sources of information and entertainment for the audience.

• Be able to write about concepts of popular legal culture, media panics, typical narratives and modes of telling in media on crime and law.