ABSTRACT
As we have seen throughout this book, the media, in all their various forms, are the vehicle by which the average person gets to know the world around them. It is pretty clear that the media play a major part in the developing, if not the actual social construction, of stereotypes – and most notably those that portray groups and activities in a critical or negative way. They have the power to criminalize individuals and whole sections of society and help to create moral panics around certain issues (see Chapter 3 on moral panics). And of course, the reporting of and writing about crime, in particular, allows and even encourages moral evaluations concerning what should be seen as good and what bad. It is not surprising, then, that the media can and do also contribute to the way we react to and perceive the victims of crime. This chapter will explore the links between the production and dissemination of the media’s presentation of crime stories involving victims and the existing social and cultural norms.
