Mass media and the social construction of crime for Crime and Deviance

This worksheet covers the explanations put forward by sociologists to explain the role of the media in the social construction and promotion of crime and deviance for A Level Sociology. It begins by explain why the media can be a problem and how they can distort our view of crime. Later, representations of crime is explored through agenda setting and newsworthiness, before looking into theories put forward by Greer on media distortion and exaggeration of crime, Cohen on deviancy amplification and Hall on policing the crisis. Cybercrimes are also explored. This worksheet can be used to teach form or for students to revise from.