| The media and crime have an interesting relationship. | | | | media violence, whether it's the nightly news or a |
| These days, it's hard to turn on the news without | | | | violent video game, can increase aggression and |
| hearing about some crime happening somewhere. In | | | | violence in young people. |
| fact, there are even reporters assigned to cover | | | | Whether you watch the nightly news show, or sit |
| certain courts or police departments to report on the | | | | down to watch a crime-scene drama, you aren't |
| latest crimes. It is well known that the publicity | | | | getting a realistic picture of how crimes occur. All too |
| surrounding certain crimes or court cases can even | | | | often, these shows highlight what's been done to |
| spur a rash of "copycat crimes." In addition to crimes | | | | catch the bad guy. If all of your knowledge of crime |
| that are reported on in the news and in the paper, | | | | comes from the media, you might believe that |
| there are also plenty of TV shows about crimes. | | | | perpetrators of every crime are quickly caught using |
| From the TV show "COPS" to the investigative | | | | high-tech DNA testing and other technologies, but this |
| drama series "CSI," it's clear that crime makes for | | | | is far from the case. In fact, if you are attacked on |
| entertaining TV. Do we actually love violence? If the | | | | the street and there are no leads, there is a good |
| media is any indication, we do! | | | | possibility that the perpetrator will never be caught. |
| If you watch the news, you've probably noticed that | | | | That's something that no TV show will ever tell you. |
| crimes are happening everywhere, in every city. | | | | Never do you see the stress and anxiety faced by |
| Sensational headlines make for good TV and sell | | | | the victims of these crimes for months, years, and |
| thousands of newspapers, but is so much coverage | | | | even a lifetime following a violent crime. |
| of crimes on TV serving to desensitize us to the | | | | No matter its exact effect, it is doubtless that crime |
| truth, so that we no longer question why crimes are | | | | in the media affects our mindset. Consider the college |
| occurring all around us and have come to believe that | | | | student carrying pepper spray after listening to a |
| it's just part of normal daily life? | | | | news clip about a recent rash of crime on campus, or |
| Is the violence on TV just harmless entertainment? | | | | the housewife who avoids shopping alone at night |
| That question remains controversial. Some | | | | because of a recent string of carjackings. This |
| psychologists even think that such shows are playing | | | | response is certainly understandable. The media |
| a role in increasing violence in the real world. Not only | | | | constantly publicizes the "bad" news of the day, |
| are there copycat crimes influenced by what is | | | | making it seems as if crime is on the rise across the |
| shown, but more and more people are watching | | | | board. Whether this is true or not, it certainly serves |
| violence and crime on TV and become to think of it | | | | as a powerful reminder that crime does exist, and |
| as normal and commonplace. There are currently | | | | that we must be prepared for it, lest we become |
| many studies being done on whether exposure to | | | | the next victim mourned on the local news. |