In order to investigate media portrayals of crime in the area surrounding my hometown, I read various articles from the Sheboygan Press dating from January 12, 2017 to March 27, 2017. The Press reports on the happenings of Sheboygan Country and its surrounding areas. Many residents of the area rely on the Press for their local news, however, many are not critical of the information they read. When looking at media portrayals of crime through the lens of Sociology it is important to be critical of the news. As theorized in the Sociology of Organizations, organizational structures and occupational demands can constrain journalists and lead to inaccurate representations of society (Paretskaya Lecture, February 13). Thus, despite the fact that
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According to Theodore Sasson, there are five common frames in which stories can be positioned: the Faulty System, Blocked Opportunities, Social Breakdowns, Media Violence, or the Racist System. However, the Press is an interesting case because it does not fit the Blocked Opportunities or Racist System frames due to the number of majority perpetrators. Although, readers should be critical of how often the Press reports on crime in relation to other news stories. Additionally, they should question if the amount of crime reported on matches the amount of crime that actually occurs in society (Alexander, Thompson, and Desfor Edles, 2012, p. 366). Although the Press may not be able to regulate what stories they report on due to the county’s demographics and their resources, they can control whether the amount that they report on crime accurately depicts the amount of crime in the county. As theorized in the Sociology of Organizations, constraints on journalists may alter representations of society. Due to the demographics of the county and the types of crime reported on, the Sheboygan Press may be affected by constraints. Because of this, it is important for the reader to be aware of the happenings of the county and be critical of what information they read. However, it could also be beneficial to consider how stories of crime are important. According to Emile Durkheim’s Functionalism theory, “society needs deviance” because the punishment “reinforces solidarity… and
According to Theodore Sasson, there are five common frames in which stories can be positioned: the Faulty System, Blocked Opportunities, Social Breakdowns, Media Violence, or the Racist System. However, the Press is an interesting case because it does not fit the Blocked Opportunities or Racist System frames due to the number of majority perpetrators. Although, readers should be critical of how often the Press reports on crime in relation to other news stories. Additionally, they should question if the amount of crime reported on matches the amount of crime that actually occurs in society (Alexander, Thompson, and Desfor Edles, 2012, p. 366). Although the Press may not be able to regulate what stories they report on due to the county’s demographics and their resources, they can control whether the amount that they report on crime accurately depicts the amount of crime in the county. As theorized in the Sociology of Organizations, constraints on journalists may alter representations of society. Due to the demographics of the county and the types of crime reported on, the Sheboygan Press may be affected by constraints. Because of this, it is important for the reader to be aware of the happenings of the county and be critical of what information they read. However, it could also be beneficial to consider how stories of crime are important. According to Emile Durkheim’s Functionalism theory, “society needs deviance” because the punishment “reinforces solidarity… and