ABSTRACT
Fear is pervasive in American society and has been produced through the interaction of commercial media, entertainment formats and programming, and the rise of the problem frame. Scholars have noted that this condition is also true of countries in Europe, particularly the United Kingdom. Formats and frames shape mass media content. The mass media and popular culture influence social life in different ways. Studies of media forms and formats have complemented findings from studies of media content while also giving them a conceptual foundation in the practices of media agents. The entertainment format of news is key to the rise of the problem frame. The problem frame is an important innovation that satisfies the entertainment dimension of news. The problem frame promotes fear on a routine basis, and this in turn promotes victimization as a widely viewed and read status.
