THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG
Department of Sociology
SOCI8011 Media and Crime
2011-2012 Second Semester
Instructor
Dr. L. Cho, PhD
Email: Lifcho@hku.hk
Office: KK Leung 1210
Phone: 2859-2810
Lecture Venue
Room: KKL 1121
Time: Wednesday, 6:45 – 9:45 p.m.
Course Website:
http://www.hku.hk/sociodep/soci8011/index.html
Course Description:
The media plays a particularly influential role on the public's conceptions of crime shaping people's images, heightening their fears and anxieties over particular "types of
people and behavior," and demanding policymakers and politicians to do "something about
it." Consequently, these demands to "do something" shape social control policies. This
course is designed to look at the different ways media shape our ideas and responses to
crime by examining the news media, local popular press and the entertainment industry.
Aims:
The overall objective is to provide students with a better understanding of the ways in
which crime is constructed in the news and in popular culture. It is also designed to
facilitate a critical and questioning stance as to why crime and crime control are
constructed in particular ways in different media like newspapers, tabloids, television, and
film.
By the end of the course, students should:
 Be familiar with and be able to critically assess how the media assembles crime and
criminal justice stories, especially in relation to particular types of behaviours and
peoples;
 Have a critical understanding of the debates and theories about the media's role in the
definition and construction of crime and social control responses.
Course Requirements:
This class uses a variety of teaching methods from traditional lecturing to group activities
and discussions using newspapers, television, and other popular media. Students are
expected to attend and participate in class discussions and group activities, which are
essential to preparing your individual and group coursework assignments. The course
assessment is based an individual portfolio (40%), group project (35%), and an in-class test
(25%).
1) Individual Portfolio (40%). Students are required to write about the topics covered in
the class in a portfolio format, in your own words, on a bi-weekly basis. The bi-weekly
entry should integrate the student's thoughts and ideas in relation to the class lectures,
discussions and readings. Journal questions are provided as a guide in the course syllabus.
You may write in a personal informal style, with no more than 3-pages for each question
(double spaced typed, 12 font size.)
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The portfolio is to be turned in for review and comment in class in week 5 (Wed 22 Feb
2012). This is intended to provide you with mid-semester feedback. The completed
individual portfolio is due on the last day of class, Wed, 18 April, 2012. Journals turned in
late may be penalized.
2) Group project (newspaper) (35%). Detailed instructions are provided in this syllabus. The
objective of the group project is to critically analyze the media (in its many forms) in
relation to what you are learning in class and through your readings. Each week, your
group will have time to discuss, analyze, debate on various issues related to the media and
crime as outlined below. The end product will be to produce a newspaper or other form of
media (e.g. magazine, documentary, television news) which reflects critically on the media.
The mark for the group project will be based on overall group effort/presentation as well as
individual contributions (half of the 35% will be based on group effort and half on
individual). During the last two sessions, each group will give a 20 minute presentation of
their newspaper draft (final version due on Wed, 2 May, 2012.)
Attention:
1) Programme Policy: if a student should miss a class, it is their responsibility to inform
the teacher (preferably in advance) along with the reason. Students may be required
to produce appropriate documentation. Students who miss more than three classes
will be penalized (this may range from deduction of the overall course grade to not
being permitted to take the final test.) A panel of teachers in the programme will
determine the penalty and the student may be called upon to
appear before the panel.
2) Students are expected to follow the standard conventions for citing and referencing
the work of others. Please refer to the document disseminated during orientation to
review the conventions on writing and appropriate citation procedures. If a student
fails to follow the appropriate conventions and correctly acknowledge the source
from which s/he quotes, paraphrases or draws from (including the internet,) this
could result in failing that portion of the coursework, and possible appearance before
a panel of teachers in the programme. If you are unsure of any referencing matters,
please consult the lecturer in charge.
Readings
The course schedule for lecture topics lists the required readings for this course. Below
are some supplemental, but not required readings if students are interested in reading
further about crime, law and the media.
Barak, G. (1994). Media, Process, and the Social Construction of Crime: Studies in
Newsmaking Criminology. New York: Garland Pub.
Jewkes, Y. (2011). Media and Crime. London: Sage
Wykes, M. (2001). News, Crime and Culture. London: Pluto Press. (Available in
HKU E-book Format)
See also on-line, Journal of Criminal Justice and Popular Culture and Crime Media
Culture for articles on crime, the media and popular culture.
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SOCI8011 Course Outline
Week
Date
Lecture
Topic
1
Jan 18
Media Construction of Reality: News
Media and the Making of Crime Images
Theories about media and crime
Jan 25
CHINESE NEW YEAR
NO CLASS
2
Feb 1
HOLIDAY
Making the News: If It Bleeds, It Leads
3
Feb 8
The Fear Factor
4
Feb 15
Framing Family Violence and Suicide in
Hong Kong News Media
Analyze news framing in Hong Kong
media via evidence and case studies
5
Feb 22
Gender and Violence in the Media
Examine masculine images of crime
perpetuated in the media and analyze
violence by and against women
6
Feb 29
In Class Test
Mar 7
READING WEEK
NO CLASS
7
Mar 14
Young People and Moral Panic
8
Mar 21
Media and the Criminal Justice System
9
Mar 28
Crime and the Media in China
Apr 4
CHING MING FESTIVAL
Review the meaning, power and
limitations of the concept of moral
panic
Explore the symbiotic relationship
between the media and criminal
justice system
Analyze the ambivalent relationship
between media and law enforcement
agencies in China
NO CLASS
Apr 11
HOLIDAY
Popular Culture and Crime
10
11
Apr 18
Understand how news reflect
organizational priorities and
ideological power
Analyze how popular media shape
people's fears and anxieties about crime
Myth creation of criminals and cops
in the entertainment industry
GROUP PRESENTATIONS
Prospects for Media’s Social Reality of
Crime and Justice
GROUP PRESENTATIONS
3
Examine how technology have altered
the relationship between media and
crime
SOCI8011 Readings
Week 1
Media Construction of Reality
What is the relationship between media and crime? Do the media play an important
role in defining and constructing our understanding about crime and the criminal
justice system? How do the media affect people? Do the media "cause" crime?
Readings:
 Katz, J. (1987). What Makes Crime "News"? Media, Culture and Society.
9:47-75.
 Sacco, V. (1995). Media Constructions of Crime. AAPSS, 539: 141-154.
 Surette, Ray. (2007). Chapter 1: Predators, pictures, and policy. Media,
crime, and criminal justice: images, realities, and policies (pp. 1-30).
Belmont, Calif.: Wadsworth Pub Co.
 Surette, Ray. (2007). Chapter 2: Social constructionism. Media, crime,
and criminal justice: images, realities, and policies (pp. 31-56). Belmont,
Calif.: Wadsworth Pub Co.
Journal Question 1:
 Part I: Introduce yourself, your group’s chosen “crime or deviance” issue,
and explain why your group has chosen this “issue” and what you hope to
learn about this “issue”. What are your perceptions about this issue? Where
do these perceptions come from? How did you come to have these
perceptions?
 Part II: Assembling the News: for one day of this week, select a local
newspaper (English or Chinese), and cut out all the stories you can find
about crime. Organize each piece (according to where it appears in the
paper, how big or small the article is, etc.) Based on the readings and class
discussion, describe how the crime stories are covered. How are the stories
constructed? (Reference to specific individuals, crime patterns, what type
of crime, etc.) Are there any patterns across the stories? What is the source
of the information? (e.g., experts, police, claims-makers, owners of the
problem, etc.) How is the crime events constructed? What images and
messages are being conveyed? What visuals were used?
Week 2
Making the News: If It Bleeds, It Leads
How is the news assembled? What is considered newsworthy? What are the various
interests and issues at stake? Does the news reflect organizational priorities and/or
reflect ideological power of dominant groups in society?
Readings:
 Chermak, S. (1995). Chapter 2: Constructing Crime News. In Victims in the
News. Boulder: Westview Press.
 Chermak, S. (1995). Chapter 3: News Images of Crime, Victims and
Defendants. In Victims in the News. Boulder: Westview Press.
 Welch, M., Fenwick, M. and Roberts, M. (1998). State Managers,
Intellectuals, and the Media: A Content Analysis of Ideology in Experts'
Quotes in Feature Newspaper Articles on Crime. Justice Quarterly. 15(2):
219-241.
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Week 3
The Fear Factor
What role do the popular press, television and film play in shaping people's fears and
anxieties about crime?
Readings:
 Altheide, D. (2002). The Lens of Fear. In C. Critcher (ed). Critical Readings:
Moral Panics and the Media. Berkshire, England: Open University. P.
240-249.
 Ditton, J. et al. (2004). From Imitation to Intimidation: A Note on the Curious
and Changing Relationship between the Media, Crime and Fear of Crime.
British Journal of Criminology. 44(4): 595-610.
 Banks, M. (2005). Spaces of (In)Security: Media and Fear of Crime in a
Local Context. In Crime, Media, Culture. 1(2): 169-187.
Journal Question 2:
 Mainland Chinese and Fear of Crime: write up your findings and
thoughts from this week's class exercise about mainland Chinese in Hong
Kong and crime. See if you can find any other images about mainland
migrants/visitors in the last six month's newspapers and include in your
discussion. Describe whether and how the "issue" has changed over time. In
light of the readings, do the media play a role in our fears and insecurities
about the involvement of mainland Chinese in crime in Hong Kong?
Alternatively, you may identify some local issue which has created a sense
of "fear" by locating various articles, etc. on the issue. Discuss in relation to
class lecture and readings.
OR

Weeks 4
Claims-Making: Find some articles on the issue of teen drug use appearing
in the media within the last six months. Discuss the process and
stakeholders involved in making claims and counterclaims about the "issue."
Who has taken control of the issue? With what effect? Are there any
differences between the English and Chinese press? In light of Katz's views,
what makes this issue news?
Framing Family Violence and Suicide in Hong Kong News Media
Can media portrayal of suicide ‘cause’ imitative suicide? What precautions should
media professionals exercise when reporting suicide? How can they balance
imperatives like the public’s ‘right to know’ against the risk of causing harm?
Readings:
 Hong Kong Journalists Association Guidelines on Coverage of Suicides
http://www.hkja.org.hk/site/portal/Site.aspx?id=A1-458&lang=en-US
 ”Suicidal Behaviour and the Media: Findings from a systematic review of
the research literature " (from UK based The MediaWise Trust)
http://www.mediawise.org.uk/display_page.php?id=373
 Gould, Madelyn S. (2001). Suicide and the media. Annals of the New York
Academy of Sciences, 200-224.
Supplemental Readings:
 Zahl, D. and K. Hawton (2004). Media Influences on Suicidal Behaviour: an
Interview Study of Young People. Behavioural and Cognitive Psychotherapy,
32: 189-198.
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Week 5
Gender and Violence in the Media
To what extent do the media perpetuate masculine images of crime? Does it
perpetuate patriarchal ideology? If the media perpetuates the masculine nature
of crime, how are women who engage in crime defined by the press? What is
meant by the “paradox of femininity”?
Readings:
 Consalvo, M. 2003. The monsters next door: Media constructions of
boys and masculinity. Feminist Media Studies 3 (1): 27-46.
 Naylor, B. (2001). Reporting Violence in the British Print Media:
Gendered Stories. The Howard Journal. 40(2): 180-194.
 Websdale, N. and A. Alvarez. (1998). Forensic Journalism as
Patriarchal Ideology: The Newspaper Construction of
Homicide-Suicide. In Popular Culture, Crime and Justice, (Eds.) F.
Bailey and D. Hale. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth. Pp. 123-141.
Supplemental Readings:
 Berrington, E. and P. Honkatukia. (2002). An Evil Monster and a Poor
Thing: Female Violence in the Media. Journal of Scandinavian Studies
in Criminology and Crime Prevention. 3:50-72.
Journal Question 3:
 Locate news stories in English (locally or internationally) about women
as offenders and as victims. How are they portrayed? See if you can find
any other images in the Chinese press. Are there any differences? How
do the portrayals of women compare with the findings in other countries
(as described in the readings?)
OR

Hong Kong has witnessed a number of murder suicides over the last
several years. Review the assigned reading on forensic journalism (see
Week 5 readings) and apply to the series of murder suicide attempts over
the last several years in Hong Kong. Is the portrayal of murder suicides
in Hong Kong's press similar to that described by Websdale and Alvarez?
Does the media representation of this issue reinforce patriarchal ideology?
Why or why not?
Weeks 6
IN CLASS TEST
Week 7
Young People and Moral Panic
What is the meaning of moral panic? What are the differences between the British
model (e.g., Cohen, Hall, etc.) and the American model (e.g., Goode and
Ben-Yehuda)? What are the shortcoming of the moral panic model in modern
society?
Readings:
 Cohen, S. (2006). Moral Panics as Cultural Politics. In J. Muncie (Eds.)
Criminology, Vol. 1. London: Sage. Pp. 240-265.
 Garland, David. (2008). On the concept of moral panic. Crime Media
Culture, 4(1): 9-30.
 Goode, E. and N. Ben-Yehuda (1994). Chapter 4: Moral Panics: An
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Introduction. In Critical Readings: Moral Panics and the Media, (Ed.) (2006)
C. Critcher. Critical Berkshire, England: Open University.
Supplemental Readings:
 Altheide D. (2009). Moral Panic: From sociological concept to public discourse.
Crime, Media, Culture. 5(1): 9-99.
 Ungar, S. (2001). Moral Panic Versus the Risk Society: The Implications of the
Changing Sites of Social Anxiety. British Journal of Sociology. 52(2): 271-291.
Journal Question 4:
 Review the newspaper and identify an issue in which you think exemplifies
a moral panic? (e.g., school bullying, drugs, sex work, etc.) Discuss how the
article(s) facilitate the image of a panic. Why do you think the issue appears
at this time? In other words, why is it a panic now?
OR

Week 8
Policing and the Social Control/Order Image: watch the HK Police
Report this week. It can be viewed on the English station on Saturday
nights at 7:20 or Sunday nights at 6:55 (see
http://www.rthk.org.hk/rthk/tv/police_report/). What is the "crime(s) of
the week? What messages and images of the police and of crime are they
trying to convey? Given what you have learned in class and the readings,
do you think police anti-crime campaigns are effective in changing
people's attitudes and behavior towards crime and towards the police?
Are the images of the police in these television campaigns similar to the
images conveyed in the local newspapers?
Media and the Criminal Justice System
What is the relationship between the media and the criminal justice system? Do
they have a "symbiotic" relationship?
Readings:
 Chermak, S. (1998) .Police, Courts and Corrections in the Media. In
Popular Culture, Crime and Justice, (Eds.) F. Bailey and D. Hale. Belmont,
CA: Wadsworth. Pp. 87-99.
 Innes, M. (1999). The Media as an Investigative Resource in Murder
Enquiries. British Journal of Criminology. 39(2): 269-286.
Supplemental Readings:
 Surette, Ray. (2007). Chapter 8: the media and criminal justice policy.
Media, crime, and criminal justice: images, realities, and policies (pp.
201-223). Belmont, Calif.: Wadsworth Pub Co.
Week 9
Crime and the Media in China
What are the dominant ideologies in the reporting of crime in China and what are
the possibilities beyond these dominant frames? How does the government both
promote as well as stifle crime reporting?
Readings:
 Li Xiao and Polumbaum, J. (2006). News and Ideological Exegesis in
Chinese Online Media: A Case Study of Crime Coverage and Reader
Discussion on Two Commercial Portals. Asian Journal of
Communication.16(1): 40-58.
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
Zhou(sic)[Zhao], Y. (2000).Watchdog on Party Leashes? Context and
Implications of Investigative Journalism in Post-Deng China. Journalism
Studies 1(2):577-97.
Supplemental Readings:
 Golub, Alex and Lingley, K. (2008) “Just Like the Qing Empire”: Internet
Addiction, MMOGs, and Moral Crisis in Contemporary China. Games and
Culture 3(1): 59-75.
Week 10
Popular Culture and Crime/ GROUP PRESENTATIONS
What role does popular culture/entertainment industry/Hollywood play in the
creation of the myths associated with criminals and police?
Readings:
 Dowler, Ken, Fleming, Thomas, & Muzzatti , Stephen L. (2006).
Constructing crime: media, crime, and popular culture . Canadian Journal
of Criminology and Criminal Justice, 48(6), 837-850.
 Newman, G. (1998) Popular Culture and Violence: Decoding the Violence
of Popular Movies. In Popular Culture, Crime and Justice. Belmont, CA:
Wadsworth. Chapter 3. Pp. 40-56.
 Surette, R. (1998). Chapter 2: The Entertainment Media and the Social
Construction of Crime and Justice. In Media, Crime and Criminal Justice:
Images and Realities. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Pp. 24-51.
Supplemental Readings:
 Dannen, F. and Long, B. (1997). Hong Kong Babylon: An Insider's Guide to
the Hollywood of the East. New York: Hyperion. Pp. 24-37.
Journal Question 5:
 Reflection (Last Entry – 2 Pages): What have you learned about the role
of the media in influencing the public's conceptions of your particular crime
“issue”? What have you learned about the role of the media in the creation
of crime and the criminal justice system?
Week 11
Prospects of Media’s Social Reality of Crime and Justice/
GROUP PRESENTATIONS
What might the future media crime and justice look like? How might digital
technology altered the relationship between media and crime?
Readings:
 Surette, R. (2007). Chapter 9: media and crime and justice in the
twenty-first century. Media, crime, and criminal justice: images, realities,
and policies (pp. 224-242). Belmont, Calif.: Wadsworth Pub Co.
Supplemental Readings:
 Jewkes, Y. (2011). Chapter 9: The role of the Internet in crime and deviance.
Media and Crime (pp. 237-260). London: Sage
 Marsh, I. and Gaynor M. (2009). Chapter 7: New Media Technology and
Crime. Crime, justice and the media (pp. 156-180). New York, NY:
Routledge.
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Group Project Instructions
The objective of the group project is to critically analyze the media (in its many forms) in relation to
what you are learning in class and through your readings. Each week, your group will have time to
discuss, analyze, debate on various issues related to the media and crime as outlined below. The
end product will be to produce a newspaper which reflects critically on the media.
Week 1:
1. Get into a small group. Please be reminded that you will be working with this team
throughout the entire course of the semester.
2. Once you have done this, decide on a "crime, deviance or social problem" issue that you
want to work on for the semester. Please give careful consideration to the topic as you will
devote yourselves to collecting and building knowledge about this topic for the entire term.
Also you should keep in mind that you will need to collect news clips, watch the television,
etc. locally, that is, crime news relevant to Hong Kong. You are free to choose as a group,
but no two groups can select the same topic. We will finalize the topics at our first session.
Topics to choose from include (you can think of others which are not on the list):
1. Family violence,
2. School violence or bullying
3. Triads,
4. Pirating (cds, vcds, etc.),
5. Juvenile delinquency
6. Cyber-crime,
7. Corruption,
8. Prostitution or sex work,
9. Illicit drug use and/or trafficking
10. Murder-suicide
11. White collar crime
12. Sex crimes
13. Terrorism
14. Police deviance
15. Murder
16. Assaults/wounding
17. Street crime (e.g., pick pocketing, street
scams)
18. Crimes committed by illegal immigrants
or new migrants
3. Once you have selected a topic, discuss and jot down your answers to the following
questions: What are your perceptions about this issue? Where do these perceptions come
from? How did you come to have these perceptions? (Your answers should be written up
and included in your group project.)
4. Before the end of the first session, you must decide on a division of labor and during the
week, collect news clips from different newspapers (English and Chinese), magazines, and
take notes on stories reported on television and radio pertaining to your topic. The best
method to do this efficiently is to assign each person to cover a particular newspaper (you
can select two or three Chinese newspapers) and/or television and radio. It may be that some
topics will have no coverage over the next week, BUT you can retrieve news articles on the
internet or search through past newspapers/magazines to obtain stories. It does not have to be
covered in the media right now, but can be stories covered over the past year or so.
5. Bring all the materials you've collected to the following week's session, and then organize
and discuss what images are presented in the media and how they are presented. Include in
your discussion, what images the media is trying to project and how they accomplish this
(e.g., use of photos, choice of words, where placed in the newspaper, commentary on TV,
etc.)
6. Once completed, keep your clips and notes all together so that at the end, you can present it in
a portfolio as a group along with your newspaper.
Week 2: Assembling the News
We looked at the crime news filtering process which suggested that a number of organizational
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issues are involved in deciding what is newsworthy and appears in print (or TV.) Important
organizational issues include: timing (can the event fit with the rest of the news on a given day),
thematic consistency (does the event covered tie in with prior stories/themes,) severity and
unusualness of the event (remember the paradox!?), emotional element, and involvement of celebs
and high status individuals. These organizational issues are important in determining not only what
gets into print but also where they are featured (remember the hierarchy of stories - from space
fillers to secondary stories to primary stories and super stories.)
In light of this, review your news clips over time and see how the various stories fit into the news
filtering process - where do they appear in the paper, how far apart are the stories in time, is there
consistency in the way the stories are reported, severity of the event, emotionality of the event, etc.
Are there any patterns when you look at the news clips over time?
One other important aspect of constructing the reality of crime and making news worthy is the
way in which stories are framed. Overseas studies show that there are at least three key features in
crime stories:
1. The responsibility for crime is focused at the individual level (rarely, if ever
do you see the argument society or various social institutions are responsible
for crime events.)
2. The crime is portrayed in a condemning way, and serves to reaffirm a
community's moral boundaries.
3. The media tries to provide some resolution to the crime, either through
condemnation, arrest or punishment.
Discuss whether and how these three issues are covered in relation to your topic/news clips.
As a group, you should also continue collecting news and magazine articles on your topic to help
build up a comprehensive picture of the topic/issue and review any television news and
documentaries on your topic.
Week 3: Fear of Crime
Does the media's presentation of your crime issue engender fear or heighten people's anxieties?
How does it do this? Photos? Choice of words? Is the issue linked to other issues so as to stimulate
anxiety? Does the issue of local context and space, as described by Banks' (2005) have relevance
for your case?
Week 4: Claims Making
Find some articles on your group’s chosen crime issue. What appear to be the sources for the
news-clips you've collected? What point of view do they project? What points of view are absent?
How does this influence the portrayal of the issue? Are there any "experts" appearing in the stories?
Use of statistics? Do they provide credibility to the story? What claims and counter-claims are
being made? How is their authority achieved?
Week 5: Gender
Re-examine (and look for updates) your news clips in relation to the portrayal of gender. That is,
ask yourselves, how are men and women presented in your crime stories? Are they presented in a
particular gendered way? To reaffirm conventional notions of femininity and masculinity? To
reinforce patriarchal ideology? How is this done? Is this a problem? Why or why not?
If your topic "seems" gender neutral, look again, it probably isn't. But if you are having trouble
finding articles which can allow you to compare, draw from news reported in another country (you
can search other newspapers on-line.)
Week 7: Moral Panic
Review your news clips in relation to the moral panic. That is, ask yourselves, does the news
coverage on our topic suggest a moral panic? Does it fit the characteristics of a moral panic as
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described in the lecture and the readings? If yes, how? If not, why not? Are there any problems with
the moral panic thesis?
Week 8: The Criminal Justice System
Find news coverage of your topic in relation to the criminal justice system (e.g., can be law
enforcement, the courts, the law, sentencing, corrections or public policy.) For example, the press
may cover a particular case (on your selected behavior) or review the law/policy on your selected
behavior. How is the case or policy covered? Who are the key players and processes described? Do
the media offer an explanation? Whose view are they trying to promote?
Week 9: The Entertainment Industry
Identify one or two films or documentaries that deal with your subject matter (local and/or
international.) Based on the readings and lectures, write a review of the film or documentary.
Once you have completed all the tasks, review as a group what you have learned about the topic
and the role of the media in creating the "reality" of the topic. Write up your results in the form of a
newspaper. Be as creative as you can. You can organize the newspaper in a variety of formats (you
can also do a documentary or television program - like Pearl Report or 60 Minutes.) For example,
front page stories, city briefs, editorial, letters to the editor, talkback, film review, etc. (Don't forget
to include Titles, subheadings, and the author of each piece within the newspaper.) The mark for the
paper will be based on overall presentation as well as individual contributions. During the last two
sessions, each group will give a 20 minute presentation of their newspaper draft. Final version is
due Wednesday, 2 May 2012.
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