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6. Crime and the media

This chapter focuses on research into various forms of media and their long, complex relationships with crime. In today’s increasingly multi-media world, most people can access crime-related information and stories through a wide variety of media and can publish and distribute their own views and accounts, if they choose. The chapter first outlines some of the ways in which criminologists examine the media and analyse the ways in which it has been used to represent (either directly or indirectly) ‘facts’ and opinions about crime. It then looks at how this can reflect wider and less obvious considerations, such as social concerns and attitudes to different groups, such as young people and migrants, before exploring how crime is depicted in fiction and popular entertainment. Finally, the chapter discusses the effects of media representations of crime, considering the ways in which the media could be seen as criminogenic (causing crime), for example that it can facilitate and provide a platform for crimes, such as cybercrime, and the ways it could be seen to have a positive influence on crime.