Media Content

MEDIA CONTENT ANALYSIS
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1.0. Introduction
The purpose of this research paper is to make a content analysis of how crime is portrayed in the media, particularly in TV newscasts. The paper further makes a sociological analysis of the results obtained during the research. The results are based on observations made on the types of crimes reported in several Canadian TV newscasts. The results are analyzed using sociological theories and concepts, official statistics and any other scientific data available.This paper tries to show how the media portrays and reports on crimes, specifically in TV newscasts, focusing on the different types of crimes reported, and any significant similarities in their characteristics. The media play the greatest role on informing the public on events happening within and without their neighborhoods. This paper further goes ahead in trying to make a sociological analysis of the results, relating them to sociological concepts and theories.There are various types of media; the crime coverage made on the newscasts also varies. The national media generally does not cover individual crime stories if there are no unique aspects related to it. The local media cover most of crime stories in a certain geographical area, a county or a city. They provide depth coverage of crime occurring within such regions and at the same time giving limited coverage on events of national concern. News may also be hard news or soft news. Hard news is current news items covered in newscasts as they happen or shortly after their occurrence. This suggests that people need to be aware of such events as they happen. Soft news, on the other hand, is stories that are not time sensitive but are of immense human interest. The choice made in newscasts on what to cover and how to cover it influences the people of Canada`s perception of crime. The paper tries to disclose how the newscasts influence people`s reactions...