ABSTRACT
This chapter focuses on news media coverage of social issues. The media’s ability to change public perceptions of the size and seriousness of issues, known as a ‘moral panic’, is also considered. Two examples are given of times when the media has played a significant role in altering UK public opinion: first, through the Hillsborough disaster, where the media reported lies in line with a police cover-up of a major incident in which 96 people died at a football ground; and second, through the case of Stephen Lawrence, a young Black man who was murdered in a racially motivated attack, where the media campaigned for social change. The main body of the chapter is a detailed case study of how the UK tabloid press described participants and victims of the London Riots of 2011. The data sources are the three most read UK newspapers at the time of the incident. Guidance is provided in relation to study setup including research questions, sampling and data management. A thematic analysis approach was used, and this is described in detail. The findings showed that the media perpetuated a view that rioters were dangerous ‘thugs’ rather than protesters. Particular challenges of using news media as data are outlined, including the political slant of sources, uncovering hidden meanings, ethical concerns and copyright issues. Additional data is provided at the end of the chapter to enable you to practise thematic analysis.
