| The role of the media in shaping popular images of crime continues to interest scholars and researchers in the social sciences. Indeed, the media possess a unique ability to perpetuate criminal stereotypes, thereby reinforcing "pictures in our head." Among the key aspects of criminal stereotyping is race and social class; in particular, minorities and the impoverished are characterized disproportionately by the media as lawless and dangerous. Whereas the media reproduces traditional criminal stereotypes, it also resorts to sensationalism whereby "new" forms of threat and menace are invented. This dynamic feature of newsmaking further illuminates the social construction process. In our research, we embark on a context analysis of youth violence in print journalism. Specifically, we attend to the emergence of "wilding" in four New York City daily newspapers beginning in 1989 when the term first appeared in relation to the Central Park jogger case. Our study tracks the media's use of this term through 1998 and reveals elements of racism and classism imbedded in prevailing criminal stereotypes. |
Updated 05/20/2006