Media has, time and again, being the link between the public domain and sources of news like crime scenes and courtroom proceedings. Therefore, it is so empirical that individuals that view these stories do so by themselves satisfactorily (Cere, Jewkes, and Thomas 6). Furthermore, the media has also been selective on the kind of cases it airs to the public since it chooses high-profile cases like murder to put to their screens.
The agenda of the media to air only the weighty cases must have to do with nothing more than serving its interest. The Jordi Arias case that took place in Phoenix, Arizona, caught the imaginations of the country because of the media attention it received in the process. Such kind of cases gives the public a very horrible feeling about the said cases and even the victims involved (Cere, Jewkes and Ugelvik 15). Additionally, with most of the highly publicized crime not ending in trials, the audience is left with suspicion of corruption among the judges.
Additionally, the media has a goal to achieve as a firm since more viewers of a given program denote that the channel has significant followers. Therefore, it is imperative for the media to create a story from an already existing account in these cases, to hold down the public in watching their content. (Surette 8). Additionally, both the media and politicians use distorted crimes to create fear of crime in people since whenever individuals interact with mass media they are showered with criminal pictures.
Mass media plays a significant role in society since it acts as a source of news and entertainment. However, the use of distorted crimes by the various media channels and politicians has been found to create fear among the populace. Similarly, the media intentionally misrepresents crime to attract viewers as witnessed in the Jodi Arias case. Finally, the highly publicized crimes that do not end in trials leave the audience with suspicion of corruption among the jury.
Works Cited
Cere, Rinella, Yvonne Jewkes, and Thomas Ugelvik. “Media and crime: A comparative analysis of crime news in the UK, Norway and Italy.” 2014.
Surette, Ray. Media, crime, and criminal justice. Nelson Education, 2014.