ATS2457 - Crime, media and culture - 2019

Crime, Media and Culture examines the representation of crime in the media and its relationship to wider understandings of, and reactions to, crime and criminal justice. This subject uses key critical criminological, sociological and media theories to interpret the representation of crime in the media. Key areas covered include representations of class, gender and race in relation to crime, the symbiotic relationship between journalists and key actors within the criminal justice system, the relationship between the media and policy formulation and the importance of fictional representations in reflecting, reinforcing and shaping popular understandings of criminal justice and criminality.

Upon completion of this subject students will demonstrate the ability to:

1. identify key criminological approaches to the study of media representation;
2. formulate a well-structured and organised response to a question in writing;
3. organise and manage the collection of contemporary scholarship and data to inform written discussions;
4. communicate an evidence based analysis of dominant approaches to analysing the relationship between media representations and crime;
5. identify and synthesise the foundational and contemporary debates regarding the relationship between crime and the media.

Within semester assessment: 60% + Exam: 40%

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. A unit requires on average two/three hours of scheduled activities per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.

See also Unit timetable information

Communications and media studies