COMS 267 - Media, Crime, and Criminal Justice

3 Credit(s)

The purpose of this course is to provide an introduction to the study of the influence of the mass media, especially film and television, on public perceptions of crime and the effectiveness of the criminal justice system in contemporary America. Drawing on contemporary communications theory, the accuracy of media depictions of crime and the criminal, the operations of criminal justice, and the part played by media imagery in the cause or prevention of criminal behavior are subject to critical analysis. The role of the mass media in the construction of a collective image of crime and justice that is sharply at odds with real trends is explored in order to highlight the growing potential for conflict between public demand for crime control and the requirements of due process and the preservation of civil rights and personal freedom.
Prerequisite(s): CJ 105 or COMS 130, or instructor’s permission.

(SAME AS CJ 267)