Your essay should focus on a crime or other justice-related event that was/is highly publicized in the media. Ideally, pick a story with enough coverage to allow an examination of how these stories evolve over several days.
Suggested topics include the Hannah Graham case in Virginia, something related to events in Ferguson Missouri, recent shootings in Wilmington, an older case such the Duke lacrosse case or Newtown shootings, or an ongoing justice issue such as genocide, ebola in Africa, terrorism or war.
Your assignment:
View or read at least one electronic media for several consecutive days. If you have chosen a topic from past history, use resources that covered at least a one week time span. Prepare a 600-800 word essay, supported with scholarly research, discussing all of the following that apply:
1. Depiction of criminals, crime, the criminal justice system and its personnel (lawyers, judges and correctional officers).
2. You must use the concept of "frames", to discuss the way the media sources you choose address the causes of crime and criminality.
3. Do the media emphasize individual or structural factors in crime and criminality?
4. What prevention and/or punishment/rehabilitation/justice policies are implied?
5. What solutions to crime and criminality are proposed?
6. In what ways do you think citizens or your own ideas about crime and punishment are influenced by the media source(s). Be specific.
7. How specifically do the media sources reviewed help shape individual and social reality about crime and justice?
8. Did media biases affect the story? How? Provide examples. Do these biases also become apparent in our policy choices?
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