Introduction: Discussion Of The Three Ways

1 In The Introduction There Is A Discussion Of The Three Ways In Whi

In the introduction, there is a discussion of the three ways in which media businesses maximize their audiences. These three strategies are: first, increasing the volume of content to attract more viewers or readers; second, diversifying content to appeal to different demographic groups and thus expand their reach; and third, leveraging technological platforms to access audiences across multiple devices and locations. Each of these strategies is aimed at expanding the audience base, thereby increasing advertising revenue and sustaining the media business.

The most important of these strategies, especially in the context of how media approach the coverage of crime, is diversifying content. When covering crime, media outlets often tailor the portrayal to meet the specific interests, fears, and perceptions of different audience segments. This targeted approach helps media organizations maintain relevance and ensure continued viewership or readership, which translates into higher advertising revenues. Diversification also influences the framing and tone of crime reporting, often emphasizing sensationalism or moral narratives that resonate with particular segments of the audience.

Define moral panic according to Stanley Cohen. Compare the concept to the disaster analogy, especially the politics of media construction of particular moral panics.

Stanley Cohen defines moral panic as a widespread feeling of fear or concern that some indivisible social group, behavior, or event poses a threat to societal norms and interests. This phenomenon is characterized by exaggerated reactions fueled by media coverage, which amplifies the perceived threat beyond its actual danger. Cohen emphasizes that moral panics are socially constructed processes where the media plays a vital role in dramatizing and sensationalizing issues, often leading to societal responses that reinforce moral boundaries.

The disaster analogy provides a useful comparison. It suggests that media-driven moral panics operate similarly to disasters in both their construction and response. Just as disasters are often dramatized to invoke fear and mobilize resources, moral panics involve media sensationalism that amplifies fears and invokes moral outrage. The politics of media construction involve selectively emphasizing certain aspects of an incident while downplaying others, to shape public perception and influence policy responses. Media, therefore, act as agents of moral moral policing, crafting narratives that promote particular social agendas under the guise of protecting societal values.

References

• Cohen, S. (1972). Folk Devils and Moral Panics: The Creation of the Mods and Rockers. Routledge.
• Goode, E., & Ben-Yehuda, N. (1994). Moral Panics: The Social Construction of Deviance. Blackwell Publishing.
• Cottle, S. (2007). Media and Moral Panics: Investigating the Construction of Crime, Deviance and Social Order. Open University Press.
• Hall, S., et al. (1978). Policing the Crisis: Mugging, the State and Moral Panic. Holmes & Meier.
• Schutt, R. K. (2014). Investigating the Social World: The Process and Practice of Research. Sage Publications.
• Matthews, R. (2007). Moral Panics, Media and Deviance: Some Questions for Researchers. Journal of Criminal Justice and Popular Culture, 14(2), 111-124.
• Thompson, J. B. (2000). Political Scandal and Moral Panic: A Cultural Analysis. Media, Culture & Society, 22(5), 509-521.
• Cohen, S. (2002). Folk Devils and Moral Panics. Routledge.
• Thrasher, F. M. (2013). The Sociology of the Crowd. Transaction Publishers.
• Chomsky, N., & Herman, E. S. (1988). Manufacturing Consent: The Political Economy of the Mass Media. Pantheon Books.