Post on 24-Dec-2015
Moral Panics
Learning Outcomes• All will know and understand Stanley Cohen’s theory of
moral panics.
• Most will understand how this links to Naomi Klein’s Shock Doctrine.
• Some will be able to identify contemporary moral panics in the mass media.
The Daily Mail• How, and why, does The Daily Mail aim to shock
audiences with its headline content?
Moral Panics• What are moral panics?
Moral Panics• They relate directly to The Effects Model.
• Moral panic was a term first used by Stan Cohen (1972) for a process where “a condition, episode, person or group … emerge to become defined as a threat to social values and interests”
Moral Panics• They relate directly to The Effects Model.
• Moral panic was a term first used by Stan Cohen (1972) for a process where “a condition, episode, person or group … emerge to become defined as a threat to social values and interests”
• IT IS THEREFORE A THEORY ABOUT POWER – WHAT OTHER THEORY DOES THIS LINK TO?
Moral Panics• It has become a way of promoting censorship and
controlling the fears of the mass audience.
• Television has become a victim of the this moral panic.
• A perfect (satirical) example of a moral panic.
• http://youtu.be/0YOh-rpvjYg?t=58s
Moral Panics - article• Read through the handout.
• Highlight, and take notes on what you think the key points of the article are.
Moral Panics - article• Read through the handout.
• Highlight, and take notes on what you think the key points of the article are.
In pairs list as many issues/debates within contemporary society,
particularly the news media, that have caused moral panic.
In pairs list as many issues/debates within contemporary society,
particularly the news media, that have caused moral panic.
Moral Panics - article• Read through the handout.
• Highlight, and take notes on what you think the key points of the article are.
In pairs list as many issues/debates within contemporary society,
particularly the news media, that have caused moral panic.
What are some of the techniques often used to promote a moral panic?
The Shock Doctrine (Naomi Klein)
• Video contains some sensitive/disturbing images.
• Watch the video: What is Klein’s hypothesis of the contemporary mass media?
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSF0e6oO_tw
Leonard Berkowitz• He wrote about “frustration aggression theory”.
• Berkowitz, an American, believed that violent content frustrated audiences, and led to increased levels of aggression.
Seymour Feshbach• He wrote about “catharsis theory”.
• Catharsis = to be cleansed, or purged, by a sense of emotional release.
• Feshbach, also an American, believed that violent content actually reduced audiences’ levels of aggression, as it gave them a sense of release.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3bozxgVQ9m0
• On a scale of 1 to 10, how aggressive do you feel?
1 = 10 =
http://youtu.be/HziG9DBfJf0 • On a scale of 1 to 10, how aggressive do you feel?
1 = 10 =
Debate• Violence in the media has created a culture of violence, normalised
acts of aggression and lead to lack of empathy in society.