A.C 3.1: Examine information for validity
Media Reports
The media often dictates how the public perceives crime. To produce
validity, media reports should remain objective and impartial. Thus,
meaning political bias, moral panics and stereotyping can compromise the
impartiality, and make them less valid reports. News outlets should
remain unprejudiced and politically neutral, if this does not occur, it will
affect the validity of their reporting of crime. Subjective political
interpretation was reported by Ian Burrell in 2014 in The Independent,
who found that the BBC had been ‘accused of political bias – on the right,
not the left.’ As their neutrality was compromised by heavily relying on
sources from politics and business – submerging their journalism into
right-wing bias. A consequence of political pressure from the recent
election – showing a lack of validity, as a political view does not
specifically offer an accurate description of a report. Furthermore, a moral
panic may ensue from sensationalist reporting, falsifying the seriousness
of criminality and distorting the publics perception. This too affects the
validity, as they are not an accurate source of information about crime.
Cohen,1972, stated that moral panics occur when the public fears that a
particular crime or group of offenders or deviants threaten their values
and those of wider society. Elaborating on his coverage of the Mods and
Rockers in the 1960s’, where he delved into the widespread,
sensationalist news coverage. Finding that as a result of the exaggerated
severity of offending, the public became more fearful. Thus, showing that
there is a link between what the media reports and the publics anxiety
about the crime in their communities. Moreover, Leslie Wilkins developed
the theory of Deviancy Amplification, arguing that media reports of crime
cause public anxiety, which in turn puts more pressure on the police and
courts to deal with it. This is illustrated in the 2011 London Riots, where
the media coverage of the looting and knife crimes led to the courts
enforcing harsher sentences, ignoring the sentencing guidelines. Another
issue that can arise in media reports is the stereotyping of people. As
seen in The Sun newspaper, where they reported that ‘1 in 5 Brit Muslims’
sympathy for jihadis’, which clearly has the motive of creating a
perception of a particular group in the minds of the public. Obviously
embedding a racist stereotype of Muslim’s, which then raises the issue of
islamophobia. The coverage of Christopher Jefferies illustrates when the
media stereotypes an individual, labelling him as ‘Strange Mr Jefferies’
and falsely claiming him as a ‘peeping Tom’ after his neighbour was
murdered. This obviously affects the validity, as the media reports are not
staying objective or accurate.
Legal Judgements
In a criminal court, a judge will read out his judgement, providing an
explanation on how he has got to a particular decision. A legal judgement
has the risk of unintentional bias affecting its validity. It is therefore vital
that a defendant in a trial under Article 6 ECHR, has a fair trial, where no
bias affects the judgement of the magistrates and jurors. Usually,
unintentional bias is raised on several grounds, such as race and gender.
Media Reports
The media often dictates how the public perceives crime. To produce
validity, media reports should remain objective and impartial. Thus,
meaning political bias, moral panics and stereotyping can compromise the
impartiality, and make them less valid reports. News outlets should
remain unprejudiced and politically neutral, if this does not occur, it will
affect the validity of their reporting of crime. Subjective political
interpretation was reported by Ian Burrell in 2014 in The Independent,
who found that the BBC had been ‘accused of political bias – on the right,
not the left.’ As their neutrality was compromised by heavily relying on
sources from politics and business – submerging their journalism into
right-wing bias. A consequence of political pressure from the recent
election – showing a lack of validity, as a political view does not
specifically offer an accurate description of a report. Furthermore, a moral
panic may ensue from sensationalist reporting, falsifying the seriousness
of criminality and distorting the publics perception. This too affects the
validity, as they are not an accurate source of information about crime.
Cohen,1972, stated that moral panics occur when the public fears that a
particular crime or group of offenders or deviants threaten their values
and those of wider society. Elaborating on his coverage of the Mods and
Rockers in the 1960s’, where he delved into the widespread,
sensationalist news coverage. Finding that as a result of the exaggerated
severity of offending, the public became more fearful. Thus, showing that
there is a link between what the media reports and the publics anxiety
about the crime in their communities. Moreover, Leslie Wilkins developed
the theory of Deviancy Amplification, arguing that media reports of crime
cause public anxiety, which in turn puts more pressure on the police and
courts to deal with it. This is illustrated in the 2011 London Riots, where
the media coverage of the looting and knife crimes led to the courts
enforcing harsher sentences, ignoring the sentencing guidelines. Another
issue that can arise in media reports is the stereotyping of people. As
seen in The Sun newspaper, where they reported that ‘1 in 5 Brit Muslims’
sympathy for jihadis’, which clearly has the motive of creating a
perception of a particular group in the minds of the public. Obviously
embedding a racist stereotype of Muslim’s, which then raises the issue of
islamophobia. The coverage of Christopher Jefferies illustrates when the
media stereotypes an individual, labelling him as ‘Strange Mr Jefferies’
and falsely claiming him as a ‘peeping Tom’ after his neighbour was
murdered. This obviously affects the validity, as the media reports are not
staying objective or accurate.
Legal Judgements
In a criminal court, a judge will read out his judgement, providing an
explanation on how he has got to a particular decision. A legal judgement
has the risk of unintentional bias affecting its validity. It is therefore vital
that a defendant in a trial under Article 6 ECHR, has a fair trial, where no
bias affects the judgement of the magistrates and jurors. Usually,
unintentional bias is raised on several grounds, such as race and gender.
