The document discusses the concept of moral panic and how the media contributes to generating moral panic. It provides the definition of moral panic as emerging threats that challenge societal values and are presented in a stylized, stereotypical way by the media. As an example, it discusses how the media fueled fear over British youth cultures in the 1960s called Mods and Rockers. The media uses techniques like certain words, phrases, and imagery to make issues seem like new threats and continually stoke public fear.

1. Moral Panic in the Media

2. According to Cohen (as cited in Welch, Price & Yanky, 2002 p. 4), “‘moral panic has occurred when a condition, episode, person or group of persons emerges to become defined as a threat to societal values and interest, its nature is presented in a stylized and stereotypical fashion by mass media and the moral barricades are manned by editors”.

3. The connection of moral panic and the media is not new. This idea has been around for some time. In 1964 the media fuelled fear over the British youth culture known as Mods and Rockers. This group was portrayed as being a new threat to public safety with exaggerated claims of dangers posed by unconventional youth after violence between two groups of young people occurred one day at the beach.

4. This incidence involving the so called Mods and Rockers is an example of how the media portray a division of othering between us - good decent respectable folk and them – deviants, bad guys, undesirables, outsiders, criminals. The stereotyping that generates folk devils and folk heroes, the ethical play of evil versus good (Goode and Ben-Yehuda, 2006).

5. The media uses certain terminology to portray moral panic to the public. Words like mugging, looting, gangs, villains and carjacking. Phrases like drive by shooting, a new menace threatening society, crime is on the rise and public fear of crime increases. All this terminology can result in people feeling fearful and anxious.

6. Welch, Price & Yanky (2002) speak about a new term that was introduced and headlined by the media in New York in 1989 after a woman was attacked and raped by 7 youths while she was jogging in Central Park. This term was known as ‘Wilding’, a stylized term describing sexual violence committed by a group of teenagers. Wilding was known as a menace to public safety.

7. The media repeats stories over and over again resulting in the continual fear and moral panic. Michael Dezuanni mentions in the lecture in week 6 other techniques the media uses to create moral panic such as the camera being angled in a certain way, certain music is being played, the footage is done in certain locations, the lighting is adjusted and certain images are used including particular dress and facial expressions.

8. References A Current Affair. (2010, August 17). A Current Affair – Train Terror [Video file]. Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=26KB7KX5K0Q&feature=related Goode, E., & Ben-Yehuda, N. (2006). Critical readings: moral panics and the media. In C. Critcher (Eds.), Moral panics: an introduction (pp 50 – 59). England: Open University Press. Welch, M., Price, E., & Yanky, N. (2002). Moral panic over youth violence: Wilding and the manufacture of menace in the media. Youth & Society, 34(1), 3-30.