The document discusses different perspectives on how the media portrays crime and moral panic. It explains that some believe the media sensationalizes crime to control public behavior, while others argue it presents different viewpoints. The document also notes that sociologist Stanley Cohen found increased media coverage can intensify social problems by raising policing. Marxism views see the media and bourgeoisie working together to create moral panics to maintain control over society. Functionalists argue the media presents diverse opinions while also reinforcing social norms.

2.  The media frequently reports on criminal activity as
it has a right to do. However some believe that the
media sensationalises crime so as to create moral
panic and that this is used as a way of controlling
how the public behaves. Right realists are linked to
moral panic while left realists condemn is use
because they do believe it is used to modify
behaviour.
 Moral panic is a term used to describe media
presentation of something that has happened that
the public will react to in a panicky manner. Moral
panic has a tendency to exaggerate statistics and to
create a folk-devil.
 Sociologist Cohen found that the media reporting
led to increased policing which actually intensified
the problem. More recently moral panics and
consequent amplification have occurred about
raves, football hooligans, girl gangs and terrorist
threats.

3.  Marxism sees the media in society as acting in the
interests of the bourgeoisie by promoting the ideals
and values which best serve them.
 The media in conjunction with the bourgeoisie
create moral panics in order to perpetuate fear and
maintain control over the whole of society. The
bourgeoisie felt a lack of control due to a rise in
“deviant” cultures.
 Moral panic was used to perpetuate fear which
enabled greater control over the proletariat. Such
fears make the public want more
police, which, Marxists argue would allow for even
greater control over the population.
 Functionalists, the media is free from an overall
controller, such as serves an important role in
maintaining freedom and different opinions
throughout society. Functionalists make the
argument that there are indeed collective norms
throughout society. However, the media helps to
present the different points of views and issues
where opinion differs.