Methodology
Secondary Research
Above is a graph of the level of Crime in the last 25 years. Since 1995 there has been a significant decrease of Crime, currently the level of crime remains constant. In between 1993-95 there was a considerable increase of Crime.
- Based on BCS( British Crime Survey) interviews in 2005/06, it is estimated that there were approximately 10.9 million crimes against adults living in private households. This represents no change from the level of crime based on interviews in 2004/05
- There were 5.6 million crimes recorded by the police in 2005/06, a fall of one per cent compared with 2004/05
- The 2005/06 BCS showed the risk of being a victim of crime at 23 per cent is the lowest level since the survey began in 1981.
Percentage changes in recorded crime, 2004/05 to 2005/06
BCS crime and police recorded crime by type of crime, 2005/06
Primary Research
To start My Primary research I have already decided what methods I am going to use. These are:
- Conducting Pilot Surveys
- Using Sample frames
- Then Conducting Cross-Sectional Surveys drawn up from the strengths of the pilot survey
- Conducting an interview
The Pilot survey would involve a trial run, to ensure that I have got everything right. The question might be confusing, too long or too personal, so it’s best to conduct a pilot survey. To ensure I have got it right.
I choose to use a sample frame as a basis on the number of people I will be using for my survey. And this will be every third person I see when conducting the survey.
Cross-Sectional surveys involve finding out the opinions of a wide range of people at a particular time. This is conducted over a short period of time and isn’t time constraining. To me this is the most appropriate form of survey.
The interview will involve asking the respondent questions face to face, this will be an unstructured Interview
This would entail searching through newspapers to find the number of times crimes are reported, I will then analyze this.
The Strengths and Weaknesses of My Research Methods
Weakness:
Cross-sectional surveys- These only represent a picture of what is happening at that time and people change their minds, so what they think today might not be what they think the next day.
Strength:
Interview- the number of responses for an interview would much more than the response for a questionnaire, as an interview is face to face and it would be hard to decline on answering the questions on a survey.
Weakness:
Interview- The respondent might alter his or hers questions because they might like to keep their own opinions to them selves and the interviewer might influence the respondent.
Ethical Concerns.
When carrying out my research I will be aware of the participant’s right to refuse in taking parting my research. Reasons for this could be that the issues raised are too personal or tedious. Also when conducting my research I will tell the participants that they will be anonymous and information will be kept confidential e.g. if they have certain views seen as extreme. It is also my responsibility to make clear what the research is about and where the information will go.
Before I conducted my Cross-sectional survey I drew up a pilot survey.
(Refer To Appendix A)
For My pilot Survey I choose Six respondents, they all responded well to it. They answered the questions with no hesitation and no confusion. For my final survey I chose to use 30 respondents. So I decide to go ahead in using the questions in my final survey. Below are the results of my final survey.
Content Analysis
1.
73% thought that the media over report crime. The reason for this is the media see certain types of crime as newsworthy. As they are interested in gaining as much audiences as they can, in order to generate more profits. In order to maintain this, the media will need to provide news that will appeal to there viewers. Steve Chibnal argued that the media are obsessed with certain types of crime and in doing so over report them. His study “Law and order” news stated that the media do base their news on the value of the story or newsworthiness.
2.
60% of my respondents read tabloid newspaper rather than Broadsheets. This may be because Broadsheets are a lot more political and tabloids focus mainly on social problems, for the majority of my respondents they probably would find this a lot more interesting.
3.
83% of my respondents thought that broad sheet’s have a more accurate view on crime, tabloids newspapers tend to romanticize crime and are bias at times. They may see broadsheets as more truthful and believable as there work involves research.
4.
90% of my respondents thought that crime was on the rise, in fact Crime in the last 10 years has decreased dramatically. This shows that the media’s portrayal of Crime has altered the public’s perception of it so much that there view is completely wrong.
5.
The majority of my respondents thought that violent crime was on the rise. They are actually right, as in the last two years crime has risen by 1% . Other factors contributing to this opinion may be the way the media report crime, one of the most crimes which are reported in the media are violent crimes.
6.
97% thought that the media do stereotype. A strong hook for a media text is the use of stereotypes. This is used in order to make sense of a person or group, so they can then be categorized into types. Although potentially very misleading, stereotypes are impossible to avoid because they form an everyday part of the way in which everyone categorizes people and things so as to make news more understandable.
7.
36%, the majority, Preferred watching TV as this is this is the most popular form of entertainment. 98% of British homes have a television.
8.
All of my Respondents opinions of Crime are formed from the media. This is the strongest anchor mechanism in forming people’s opinion on crime as the media is all around us. The only other way of forming peoples opinion crime is witnessing it.
9.
80% of my respondents thought that the media do generate a fear amongst the public, in other words a moral panic. This occurs because the media create folk devils which heighten public concern. As Stanley Cohen, the man who invented the term “moral panic” proved when researching into the way the media helped to create an image concerning Mod’s and Rocker’s.
10.
83% of my respondents thought that the media do have a big influence on our society. They are all around us and they have so many tools to form peoples opinions .The way groups are portrayed have huge impacts on the way there treated in society. They can easily alter people’s attitudes and beliefs, for example when moral panics, folk devils and stereotypes are created.
I also have done 20 interviews, these being unstructured. (Refer to Appendix B to see the interview questions). Below are the results of the interview.
1.
The majority of the news is negative, this is featured in the news a lot more because this is seen as more newsworthy and would sell a lot more as it grabs the audience’s attention. It has shock value.
2.
The majority of my respondents thought this because crime is over reported in the media.
3.
53% of my respondents do because the level of crime being reported sometimes concerns the public, most of the time it greatly exaggerated.
4.
This topic has probably generated the most moral panic, as the public’s safety are at risk. As this alarms the public, it is featured in a lot of the stories. And the public would want to be informed if these problems persist. Thus creating a lot of money for that medium.
5.
As there tend to be a lot of moral panic be generated, the media’s integrity would be questioned if they create too much fear in the public. And also if they blame certain groups of society instead of seeking the real causes.
6.
Those from ethnic groups are discriminated against as they are sometimes featured in the media negatively. Half agreed and the other half disagreed, reason for this could be that those from ethnic groups have different opinions on this than the rest of the white respondents. Also this is a sensitive issue as this involves race, so some would probably disagree.
7.
8.
Society as a whole can be easily manipulated into believing stories the media cover, once they highlight a problem even though this may be over exaggerated. They use many devices to shape peoples thoughts on society; this shows the great power the media have.
Analysis of Newspaper Content
To start of my newspaper content analysis I looked at the number of times crime was featured in 4 newspapers, these newspapers were:
The times (Appendix D)
The Sun (Appendix E)
The Daily Telegraph (Appendix C)
The Daily Mail (Appendix F)
I choose 2 Broadsheets and 2 Tabloids because I thought that Tabloid Newspapers would feature articles on crime more. Below are the percentages of the number of crimes in those newspapers.
The Crimes which are Over Reported the most are Violent Crime and Sexual Crimes. So I decided to identify the number of times Violent Crime and Sexual Crime were reported. I analysed a week of reports on these two crimes. Below is a percentage of how much they are reported
.
The Percentages for each crime being reported are really high, especially as they are only one. The Overall Percentage for both crimes are all above half, this shows that these crimes are over reported. They are over reported because again the two types of crime are the most newsworthy. These crimes shock the person into buying the newspaper, then creating public interest. Since these crimes are the most extreme and intense. In other research it is estimated that these two crimes are reported 20 times more than they actually occur.
I have got some of the headlines I looked into in the appendix
Evaluation
At the beginning of this coursework my aim was to analyse the impact of the media’s portrayal of crime. I believe that I have achieved this, I achieved this by using a wide range of sources and information these being gathering crime statistics, analysing a medium, carrying out surveys and interviews. I decided to investigate two things the impact of the impact of the media’s portrayal of crime on people and how the media portray crime. To find out the impact the media has had on people, I carried out a cross-sectional survey and interviews. Through this I found out that the media has formed most of their opinions and that the portrayal of crime has distorted the enormity of those crimes. To find out how the media portrays crime I decided to analyse the content of newspapers, I did this by analysing 4 newspapers 2 Broadsheets and 2 Tabloids. I researched into how many times crime was reported in these 4 papers. I then analysed how many times sexual and violent crimes were reported and why. The percentages my research highlighted that these two crimes dominate the crime headlines. The methods I selected in this research has been a success, these gave me a much more in depth understanding of these issues.
While doing this research I have encountered some problems. The most difficult task to carryout was the interviews; the questions asked were very bold. Especially because of the current political climate. The process of analysing newspapers content were time constraining, I had to go over the articles which involved crime and there were a lot of these.
Improvements
With my cross-sectional survey my respondents were only limited to 30, to have a more accurate idea of peoples opinions and better quality data I would be better if I had more respondents. If I had more time I would expand the number of respondents from 30 to 100. To carry out this enormous task I would interview 20 people a week over a period of 5 weeks.
Also the quality of my work research would have been much greater if I analyses other mediums, I would have a more extensive analysis of crime in these. I could possibly differentiate between how some of them view crime. The Mediums I would analyse would be T.V, Magazines and Film.
I would also analyze how the media portray deviant groups and ethnic groups when they commit crime. This would broaden my research and would give a deeper understanding of how the media portray people and why.
Conclusion
I conclude that the media have a big influence on society’s idea of crime. They romanticize stories in order to create more money, and in doing so form and alter peoples opinions of crime. They also stereotype groups, so they can be made scapegoats or “Folk devils” so they would have someone to blame and would obsess about getting rid of the problem in the upcoming weeks, months or years. They also create moral panic, spreading fear and panic. The annual British Crime Survey examines public fear and anxiety about crime in relation to the types of newspapers they read. Asked if they were very worried about being attacked by a stranger, six per cent of broadsheet readers said that they were, compared with 17% of tabloid readers. Similar differences were found in the case of burglary, mugging and rape. These factors are the tools which the media use to create interest and ultimately money. But the question remains how long will the media keep this up and will use another issue as a tool.
So all in all crime is represented as an issue which occurs to much .However the media again over report crime, so this is not necessarily true. They all so show crime is on the rise, however it isn’t as it’s actually decreased. Therefore the media appear to be wide off the mark when it comes to this issue. And do nothing more than add fuel to it.
Appendix
Bibliography
- National statistics online
- British Sociological Association
Cross-Sectional Survey
Circle answers
- Do you think the media over reports Crime?
Yes No
- If you Read News papers, which do you Read the most?
Tabloid Broadsheets
- Which do you believe has the most accurate view on Crime?
Tabloid Broadsheets
- Do you think Crime is on the rise?
Yes No
- Which particular Crime has risen the Most?
Violent Crime Burglary Vehicle theft Drug Offences Fraud
Vandalism
- Do you think the media tent to Stereotype?
Yes No
- Which Particular Type of Media do you prefer?
T.V Newspaper Magazines Film Books Internet
- Do you think the media form most of your opinions on Crime?
Yes No
- Do you think the Media generate a fear Amongst the Public?
Yes No
- Do you think the media have a big influence on our Society?
Yes No
Appendix B
Circle Answer
Interview Structure
- Do you the media Focus on the negative aspect of society
Yes No
- Do you think the media alter peoples opinion on crime
Yes No
- Do you get worried of some crimes because the media report these a lot
Yes No
- Do you think the media use terrorism as a tool to gain audiences
Yes No
- Do you think the content of the media take away their integrity
Yes No
- Do you think the media is institutionally racist
Yes No
- Do you think the media influence our society
Yes No
- Do you stereotype groups because its reported a lot that they commit crime?
Yes No
- Do you think the Media over Report Crime?
Yes No
From The Sunday Times
Violent crime still on the rise
THE government has failed to reduce violent crime despite its pledges to tackle the problem, according to the last set of crime statistics likely to be released before the election.
Home Office figures, due to be published next month, are expected to show that offences such as assaults and wounding increased by 8% in England and Wales last year. In some areas police recorded a 30% rise in personal violence.
Police say the increase has been caused by binge drinking and a shortage of officers to patrol the streets because constables are tied up with duties such as form-filling, inflicted on them by the government.
Figures obtained last week from 25 of the 43 police forces in England and Wales show that the biggest rise in violence against the person — a category that includes assault, wounding and murder, but not robbery — was in Leicestershire. Murders and assaults in the county went up from 4,426 in the three months from October 2003 to 5,769 in the same period last year, a rise of 30%.
Overall, crime was down 6% nationally. House burglary dropped by 14% and robbery was down 3%. Sex crimes were up 12%, partly because the way sex offences are counted was changed last year.
Some forces said this weekend that the government was still directing too many police off the streets to take part in schemes to meet targets.
“As soon as the government says ‘We want to measure something’ I have got to get somebody to fill a form or sit at a computer screen so it can be measured,” said one senior officer in Lancashire, where there was a 20% rise in violent crime.
“If we measured less and there was not so much excessive bureaucracy we could have more people on the street fighting crime. There are loads of single-issue zealots in government who think their particular initiative is the most important issue.”
Crime Headlines
Appendix C
The Daily Telegraph
Appendix D
The Times
Antisocial behaviour orders are nearly seven times more likely to be contravened in Co Durham than Northamptonshire
A convicted sex attacker who was ordered to be deported was given a British passport after a serious blunder by a Home Office official
A 48-year-old man has been arrested by detectives investigating seven letter bombs that have been sent in the past three weeks
The charges and statement relate to an alleged attempted kidnap a British Muslim soldier, plus other terrorism offences
A pilot smuggling drugs into Britain died when his cannabis-laden aircraft crashed in a field in fog, an inquest was told
An Islamist radical who has praised the 7/7 bombers and heckled the Home Secretary has been arrested on suspicion of glorifying terrorism
The activities of a serial letter bomber who has struck seven times in the past three weeks have similarities to a previous hate-mail campaign
Four people have been arrested in connection with the murder of a church-going schoolboy in South London, police said
Appendix E
The Sun
THE UK was today named a 'high crime' country in a European security survey
BRITAIN has more burglaries and assaults than any one of the other 26 EU states
ROBBERY rose by 1 per cent in the third quarter of last year, new figures reveal
'GODFATHER' of Britain's most feared crime family finally jailed after 10yr investigation
ATLANTIC CITY's 12 supercasinos rake in the cash - but also bring crime, vice & guns
JOHN Reid dealt hammer blow as paedo is freed because of his failure to build prisons
SERIOUS criminals could soon be banned from travelling and from using mobiles
BRITAIN’S public enemy number one Terry Adams is facing up to 14 years in jail
TODAY we team up with domestic violence charity Women’s Aid to ask you to ACT
Appendix F
The Daily Mail
TERROR GANG'S
A BRITISH Muslim earmarked for execution by a suspected death squad in Birmingham broke his silence last night to tell The People: “I just can’t believe my fellow countrymen wanted to kill
TV BID TO NAIL COSTA CROOK
EX-pats have been asked to join the hunt for a British bank robber on the Spanish Costas.
TRAP YOBS BY MOBILE
A NATIONWIDE network of informers to catch yobs and vandals by mobile phone is being considered by Premier Tony Blair.
REID 'LOSES' 15 DRUG BARONS
BELEAGURED Home Secretary John Reid has now lost FIFTEEN big-time drugdealers, it was revealed last night.
THUG KILLED KEV & WALKED OUT OF JAIL. JUSTICE? IT'S A JOKE! Jan
THE parents of a young stabbing victim last night told of their outrage and disgust after their son's killer wandered out of a cushy open prison and vanished.
TURF ON CRIME
FARMER Brian Franklin has blasted cops who NAILED him for damaging a grass verge but FAILED to act when he was burgled.