Representing fear; moral panics in the press and online (1)

Media Magazine 18-Stanley Cohen

Author: Lucy Scott-Galloway

Creating a moral panic
In this article the author looks at how Stanley Cohen created the terms 'Folk devils' and the events that lead up to 'Moral panics' and the role the media takes when this happens.

• 'They are the people who are represented by the media as outsides'- Folk Devils

Useful when introducing the essay and speaking about how the news media creates or reinforces negative representations (stereotyping)

• 'Role of the media when reporting an isolated event or group of similar incidents' &
• 'May pose a threat to law and order or public health'- Moral Panics

Useful when talking about how the media will manipulate stories and negatively represent a group within society. (mediation)

After the moral panic

The author then goes on to speak about how the media will report on the events after the panic has began.

• 'The deviancy amplification spiral refers to the way in which he media report on events' 
• 'Media select and allocate prominence to their stories -generally include continuity: stories that are already in the news' (mediation) (is the issue really a moral panic?)