Media influences on Crime

[seanhouse]

Hello.

My names Sean House and I am a 17 year old student studying Media Studies at A2. Our course criteria is to make a critical research study in which I have chosen to look at Crime and the Media. Inparticular, if the media glorify crimes, therefore making them seem more acceptable. The aspect of the Media I will be looking at is Television, comparing Soaps/Dramas (character based programmes) against Investigation (plot based programmes.)

It is my opinion that T.V programmes like Eastenders glorify crimes. I think this because they are character based. You get to know the character, and therefore forgive their reasons behind the crime, therefore making it seem acceptable to you. My example of this would be Dot killing Ethel. Ethel asked her to, therefore making it voluntary euthanasia, but this was illegal to do so. Yet we as an audience know Dot's character, and forgave her, and understood the reasons for her crime. I am in no way suggested that Dot did the wrong thing and should be in Jail, but stating that because we know her character so well, and her motives, we forgave her.

This I think is different in investigation type programmes, for example Diagnosis Murder, Columbo etc. The crime commiters are only ever in one episode, and we don't follow there story as much as we follow the investigation. I feel it is because we don't get close to the crime commiter that we don't forgive their actions, and therefore redeem our faith in crime being wrong!

However, I am only a 6th form student, And would like to know your opinions, whether you agree or disagree on the subject. This would be greatly appreciated.

Thankyou

Sean

[seanhouse]

I've just realised there a media section which i should've posted this in

Sorry! Im a rookie at this!

[missmkm]

I agree, the way the programme is constructed positions the audience to become sympathetic or resistant to the character. In soaps the characters are very familiar and the audience knows their personalities and traits. In the investigation programmes the criminal is given no or little context, background, or personal traits so the audience doesn't understand them. They are often construed as wierd, anti social or an outcast.

Also on the topic of glorifying crime; the crime and violent crime especially in soaps is more forgiven. However, the crime and violent crime that the audience forgives and glorifies is usually retaliation crime to something, because we understand the characters point of view, therefore it almost is justifying that behaviour.