Overview
In a pluralist society, criminal justice policy is heavily influenced by public perception of crime and in particular fear of crime. In this unit you will explore the media’s role in constructing an image of crime and critique the ways in which forms of power control this process. You will discuss different representations of crime from the early print news media through to the growth of social media and the rise of ‘fake news’. This unit discusses the forms of media regulation that seek to govern the way truth is presented particularly within news media. You will apply this knowledge by developing an organisational media response to a complex issue.
Details
Pre-requisites or Co-requisites
There are no requisites for this unit.
Important note: Students enrolled in a subsequent unit who failed their pre-requisite unit, should drop the subsequent unit before the census date or within 10 working days of Fail grade notification. Students who do not drop the unit in this timeframe cannot later drop the unit without academic and financial liability. See details in the Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework).
Offerings For Term 2 - 2020
Attendance Requirements
All on-campus students are expected to attend scheduled classes - in some units, these classes are identified as a mandatory (pass/fail) component and attendance is compulsory. International students, on a student visa, must maintain a full time study load and meet both attendance and academic progress requirements in each study period (satisfactory attendance for International students is defined as maintaining at least an 80% attendance record).
Recommended Student Time Commitment
Each 6-credit Undergraduate unit at CQUniversity requires an overall time commitment of an average of 12.5 hours of study per week, making a total of 150 hours for the unit.
Class Timetable
Assessment Overview
Assessment Grading
This is a graded unit: your overall grade will be calculated from the marks or grades for each assessment task, based on the relative weightings shown in the table above. You must obtain an overall mark for the unit of at least 50%, or an overall grade of 'pass' in order to pass the unit. If any 'pass/fail' tasks are shown in the table above they must also be completed successfully ('pass' grade). You must also meet any minimum mark requirements specified for a particular assessment task, as detailed in the 'assessment task' section (note that in some instances, the minimum mark for a task may be greater than 50%). Consult the University's Grades and Results Policy for more details of interim results and final grades.
All University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
You may wish to view these policies:
- Grades and Results Policy
- Assessment Policy and Procedure (Higher Education Coursework)
- Review of Grade Procedure
- Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - Domestic Students
- Monitoring Academic Progress (MAP) Policy and Procedure - International Students
- Student Refund and Credit Balance Policy and Procedure
- Student Feedback - Compliments and Complaints Policy and Procedure
- Information and Communications Technology Acceptable Use Policy and Procedure
This list is not an exhaustive list of all University policies. The full list of University policies are available on the CQUniversity Policy site.
- Critique the different forms of power that shape media institutions and networks
- Develop strategies for managing organisational media presence in traditional and social media
- Discuss the regulatory structures that govern media institutions
- Explain the role of media in the construction of social attitudes to crime and the justice system
- Explain the ways in which social media has changed the way that we understand crime.
No external accreditation is relevant to this award.
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Learning Outcomes
| Assessment Tasks | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 40% | |||||
| 2 - Practical Assessment - 30% | |||||
| 3 - Learning logs / diaries / Journal / log books - 30% | |||||
Alignment of Graduate Attributes to Learning Outcomes
| Graduate Attributes | Learning Outcomes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | |
| 1 - Communication | |||||
| 2 - Problem Solving | |||||
| 3 - Critical Thinking | |||||
| 4 - Information Literacy | |||||
| 5 - Team Work | |||||
| 6 - Information Technology Competence | |||||
| 7 - Cross Cultural Competence | |||||
| 8 - Ethical practice | |||||
| 9 - Social Innovation | |||||
| 10 - First Nations Knowledges | |||||
| 11 - Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultures | |||||
Alignment of Assessment Tasks to Graduate Attributes
| Assessment Tasks | Graduate Attributes | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | |
| 1 - Written Assessment - 40% | |||||||||||
| 2 - Practical Assessment - 30% | |||||||||||
| 3 - Learning logs / diaries / Journal / log books - 30% | |||||||||||
Textbooks
Crime Justice and the Media
- Edition: 3rd edn (2019)
- Authors: Marsh I.,Melville G
- Routledge (Taylor and Francis Group)
- London London , UK
- ISBN: 9781138362253
- Binding: Paperback
Crime Media and Culture
- (2019)
- Authors: Martin, G
- Routledge Taylor & Francis Group
- London London , UK
- ISBN: 9781138946002
- Binding: Paperback
Additional Textbook Information
Choose either or both of the above texts for addtional reading material. Paper copies can be purchased at the CQUni Bookshop here: http://bookshop.cqu.edu.au (search on the Unit code).
IT Resources
- CQUniversity Student Email
- Internet
- Unit Website (Moodle)
All submissions for this unit must use the referencing style: American Psychological Association 7th Edition (APA 7th edition)
For further information, see the Assessment Tasks.
s.beattie@cqu.edu.au
Week 1
Begin Date: 13 Jul 2020Module/Topic
Introduction: Overview of unit
Chapter
Dutton W H (2009) The Fifth Estate Emerging through the Network of Networks, Prometheus, Vol 27:1,pp 1-15,Routledge Publishing ,Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/pdf/10.1080/08109020802657453?needAccess=true
Gentzkow M, Glaeser E L, Goldin G.,(2006) The Rise of the Fourth Estate. How Newspapers Became Informative and Why It Mattered, Corruption and Reform: Lessons from America's Economic History,pp187-229. University of Chicago Press, Chicago, United States of America.
https://www.nber.org/chapters/c9984.pdf
Winseck D(2008) The State of Media Ownership and Media Markets: Competition or Concentration and Why Should We Care ?, Sociology Compass 2/1,pp34-47, Wiley on line.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/j.1751-9020.2007.00061.x
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 2
Begin Date: 20 Jul 2020Module/Topic
Media Theory
Chapter
Chandler D.,(1997) An introduction to genre theory , The Media and Communications Site,
Chandler D.,(2011) Semiotics for beginners, Semiotic Scholar online .
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 3
Begin Date: 27 Jul 2020Module/Topic
Newsworthiness and News Values
Chapter
Chyi H., McCombs M., (2004) MEDIA SALIENCE AND THE PROCESS OF FRAMING: COVERAGE OF THE COLUMBINE SCHOOL SHOOTINGS, J&MC Quarterly, Vol 81:1 pp 22-35, Sage Publications online
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/107769900408100103
Peiser W.,(2000), SETTING THE JOURNALIST AGENDA: INFLUENCES FROM JOURNALISTS’ INDIVIDUAL CHARACTERISTICS AND FROM MEDIA FACTORS, J&MC Quarterly, Vol 77:2 pp 243-257,Sage Publications online.
Zoch L M ,Supa D W.,(2014) Dictating the News: Understanding Newsworthiness from the Journalistic Perspective, Public Relations Journal Vol. 8:1 pp 2-28, Public Relations Society of America, United States of America.
https://prjournal.instituteforpr.org/wp-content/uploads/2014ZochSupa.pdf
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 4
Begin Date: 03 Aug 2020Module/Topic
Representation of Victims and Offenders
Chapter
Callanan V., Rosenberger J.S. (2015) Media, Gender, and Fear of Crime Criminal Justice Review 2015, Vol 40:3 pp22-339, Sage Publications
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0734016815573308
Grosholz J., Kubrin C., (2012) Crime in the News: How Crimes, Offenders and Victims are Portrayed in the Media, Journal of Criminal Justice and Popular Culture, Vol. 14, pp. 59-83, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2028162
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2028162
Pacoe A (2020) Was 'Pretty Woman' A Fairytale or Fantasy? Thirty years after its release, two Australian sex workers reflect on the legacy of 'Pretty Woman, Marie Claire Magazine online https://www.marieclaire.com.au/pretty-woman-thirtieth-anniversary-sex-workers
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 5
Begin Date: 10 Aug 2020Module/Topic
Melodrama, Sensationalism,Mystery and Detection
Chapter
Churchill D.,(2016) SECURITY AND VISIONS OF THE CRIMINAL: TECHNOLOGY, PROFESSIONAL CRIMINALITY AND SOCIAL CHANGE IN VICTORIAN AND EDWARDIAN BRITAIN, British Journal of Criminology, Vol 56 pp , 857–876,Oxford University Press, Oxford United Kingdom.
https://academic.oup.com/bjc/article/56/5/857/1746687
Dunae P. A., (1979) Penny Dreadfuls: Late Nineteenth-Century Boys' Literature and Crime, Victorian Studies, Vol. 22:2 (Winter, 1979), pp. 133-150, Indiana University Press, Indiana United States of America.
https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/3826801.pdf?refreqid=excelsior%3A10b49d34538d01fe271578c9fa80abcc
Jann R(1990) Sherlock Holmes Codes the Social Body, ELH, Vol. 57:3 (Autumn, 1990), pp. 685-708, John Hopkins University Press, Maryland, United States of America.
https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/2873238.pdf?refreqid=excelsior%3A8d670c2c0ff57745138af63369c524ec
Springhall J., (1994) 'Pernicious Reading'? 'The Penny Dreadful' as Scapegoat for Late-Victorian Juvenile Crime, Victorian Periodicals Review, Vol. 27: 4 (Winter, 1994), pp. 326-349, The Johns Hopkins University Press on behalf of the Research Society for Victorian Periodicals, United States of America.
https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/20082795.pdf?refreqid=excelsior%3Ad212523c6bca585f8203a42e1e475b30
Events and Submissions/Topic
Vacation Week
Begin Date: 17 Aug 2020Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 6
Begin Date: 24 Aug 2020Module/Topic
Gangster Genre
Chapter
Nochimson M.P.,(2002) Waddaya Lookin' At?: Re-reading the Gangster Genre Through "The Sopranos, Film Quarterly Vol 56:2 pp 2–13., University of California Press, California, United States of America.
https://online.ucpress.edu/fq/article/56/2/2/39942/Waddaya-Lookin-At-Rereading-the-Gangster-Genre
Springhall, J,(1998) Censoring Hollywood: Youth, moral panic and crime/gangster movies of the 1930s, Journal of Popular Culture, Vol32:3 (Winter 1998)pp135-154.Oxford: United Kingdom.
https://search.proquest.com/docview/195362394/fulltextPDF/8A77A95418DB416DPQ/1?accountid=10016
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 7
Begin Date: 31 Aug 2020Module/Topic
Police Procedural:1930's Radio to Present Day Television
Chapter
Landrum L.,(1984) Instrumental Texts and Stereotyping in Hill Street Blues: The Police Procedural on Television, MELUS, Vol. 11:3, Ethnic Images in Popular Genres and Media (Autumn, 1984), pp. 93-100,Oxford University Press, United States of America.
https://www.jstor.org/stable/pdf/467137.pdf?refreqid=excelsior%3A8139bcab2585cd8fec65022852ebbdcf
Primasita F A., Ahimsa-Putra A S.,(2019) An Introduction to the Police Procedural: A Subgenre of the Detective Genre, Humaniora, Vol. 31: 1 (February 2019), Faculty of Cultural Science, Universitas Gadjah Mada, Yogyakarta 55281:Indonesia.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 8
Begin Date: 07 Sep 2020Module/Topic
Police:Secondary Authors?
Chapter
McGovern A., Lee M.,(2010) ,‘Cop[ying] it Sweet’: Police Media Units and the Making of News, The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology, Vol 43:3 2010 ,pp.444–464,Sage Publication, Australia.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 9
Begin Date: 14 Sep 2020Module/Topic
Surveillance
Chapter
Russell A., Waisbord S (2017) The Snowden Revelations and the Networked Fourth Estate, International Journal of Communication, Vol 11, pp858–878,USC Annenberg Press, Los Angeles California
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 10
Begin Date: 21 Sep 2020Module/Topic
Social Media and Sonic Media
Chapter
Crump, J., (2011) "What Are the Police Doing on Twitter? Social Media, the Police and the Public," Policy & Internet: Vol. 3:. 4, Article 7. http://www.psocommons.org/policyandinternet/vol3/iss4/art7
Rose M, Fox R. (2014) Public Engagement with the Criminal Justice System in the Age of Social Media. Oñati Socio-legal Series [online],Vol 4 :44, pp771-798.
http://ssrn.com/abstract=2507135
Surette R., (2015) Performance Crime and Justice, Current Issues in Criminal Justice, Vol27:2, pp 195-216, Routledge , New York, United States of America .
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 11
Begin Date: 28 Sep 2020Module/Topic
Cybercrime
Chapter
Perpetration by Juveniles, Deviant Behavior, Vol 35:7, pp581-591, Routledge, Oxford, United Kingdom.
https://doi.org/10.1080/01639625.2013.867721
Silva KK e (2018) Vigilantism and cooperative criminal justice: is there a place for cybersecurity vigilantes in cybercrime fighting? International Review of Law, Computers & Technology, Vol 32:1, pp21-36, Routledge, Oxford, United Kingdom.
https://doi.org/10.1080/13600869.2018.1418142
Wall D.S. (2008) Cybercrime, media and insecurity: The shaping of public perceptions of cybercrime , International Review of Law, Computers & Technology, Vol 22:1-2, pp 45-63,Routledge,Oxford,United Kingdom
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13600860801924907
Events and Submissions/Topic
Week 12
Begin Date: 05 Oct 2020Module/Topic
Media, Public Opinion and Punishment
Chapter
Holder H D .,Treno A.J.(1997)Media advocacy in community prevention: news as a means to advance policy change, Addiction, Vol 92:2,pp189-199,Wiley online.
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/j.1360-0443.1997.tb02991.x
Slone M,.(2000) Responses to Media Coverage of Terrorism, Journal of Conflict Resolution, Vol 44 :4, pp508-522, Sage Publications, California, United States of America.
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/0022002700044004005
Wright II J. W, Ross S D (1997) Trial by media?: Media reliance, knowledge of crime and perception of criminal defendants, Communication Law and Policy, Vol 2:4, pp397-416, Routledge, Oxford, United Kingdom.
Events and Submissions/Topic
Review/Exam Week
Begin Date: 12 Oct 2020Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
Exam Week
Begin Date: 19 Oct 2020Module/Topic
Chapter
Events and Submissions/Topic
· There is no prescribed textbook for this course.
There is a recommended text book:
Martin G (2019) Crime Media and Culture, Routledge, Abingdon ,Oxon OX14 4RN
or/and
Marsh I., Melville G., (ed)(2019) Crime, Justice and the Media,3rd Ed, Routledge, Abingdon, Oxon.
1 Practical Assessment
Part A
Students are required to do a 200-word media article / journal article on crime topic which will be provided to you.
Part A due date Friday 7th August
Part B
Students are then record a 10-minute presentation based on the provided crime topic.
The recorded presentation should not be ‘just’ a performance of their 200-word summary.
Students are to provide additional information about the topic.
Students can use any media platform to record.
Students are to upload their recording to YouTube.
Students are to make the YouTube clip accessible for grading.
Students are encouraged to be creative with this assessment task.
Students are to submit the link ( in a word document ) for the recording via turn it in.
Both Part A and Part B must be submitted for this assessment item to viewed as submitted
Due date
Part A due date Friday 7th August ( Week 4)
Part B due date Friday 28th August ( Week 6)
Part A
Students are required to do a 200-word media article / journal article on crime topic which will be provided to you.
worth 10%
Part B
Students are then record a 10-minute presentation based on the provided crime topic.
The recorded presentation should not be ‘just’ a performance of their 300-word summary.
Students are to provide additional information about the topic.
Students can use any media platform to record.
Students are to upload their recording to YouTube.
Students are to make the YouTube clip accessible for grading.
Students are encouraged to be creative with this assessment task.
Recording worth 20%
Students are to submit the link ( in a word document ) for the recording via turn it in.
Due date Monday Friday 28th August (Week 6).
- Critique the different forms of power that shape media institutions and networks
- Develop strategies for managing organisational media presence in traditional and social media
- Explain the role of media in the construction of social attitudes to crime and the justice system
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Information Technology Competence
- Cross Cultural Competence
- Ethical practice
- Social Innovation
2 Written Assessment
Students are required to conduct an analysis of one of the following:
· crime film
· television series
· crime news coverage
Students can choose a crime television series , a crime film, crime reality show or a crime documentary of their own choosing.
The analysis must include media and criminological theory.
Assignment length is 2000 words maximum.
.
Criteria sheet will be provided.
Submission due Monday 31 st August 9am (Week 7)
Week 8 Monday (7 Sept 2020) 9:00 am AEST
Week 10 Monday (21 Sept 2020)
Communications skills
Application of theory
Critical thinking skills
- Discuss the regulatory structures that govern media institutions
- Explain the role of media in the construction of social attitudes to crime and the justice system
- Explain the ways in which social media has changed the way that we understand crime.
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Information Technology Competence
- Ethical practice
3 Learning logs / diaries / Journal / log books
Students are tasked with creating a weekly blog using the task/challenges as the basic for the blog. The blogs will be posted on a forum on the Moodle site for this unit - titled Blogs
Students must include weblinks images etc. as supporting evidence of your stance.
Students MUST acknowledge all weblinks and images.
Students may use any platform for their blogs however they need to be made accessible for grading.
Students to select (six) 6 of their blogs for grading which are to be copied and pasted into a word document for submission via Turn it in.
Blogs are to be 150 words maximum.
Submission will be made via Turn it in with the nominated blogs, and the links to them.
Total word submission 900 words maximum.
Submission date Monday 5 October 9am (Week 12)
Week 12 Monday (5 Oct 2020) 9:00 am AEST
Exam Week Friday (23 Oct 2020)
Students are tasked with creating a weekly media blog using the weekly task/challenges as their basis for the blog.
Students must to include weblinks images etc. as supporting evidence of their stance.
Students MUST acknowledge all weblinks and images using APA 7 referencing..
Students may use any platform for their blogs however they need to be made accessible for grading.
Students to select (six) 6 of their blogs for grading.
Blogs are to be 150 words maximum.
Submission will be made via Turn it in with the nominated blogs, and the links to them.
Total word submission 900 words maximum.
Assessments that are over word count will be penalised 5%
Submission date Monday 5 October 9am (Week 12)
- Critique the different forms of power that shape media institutions and networks
- Develop strategies for managing organisational media presence in traditional and social media
- Discuss the regulatory structures that govern media institutions
- Explain the ways in which social media has changed the way that we understand crime.
- Communication
- Problem Solving
- Critical Thinking
- Information Literacy
- Information Technology Competence
- Cross Cultural Competence
- Ethical practice
- Social Innovation
As a CQUniversity student you are expected to act honestly in all aspects of your academic work.
Any assessable work undertaken or submitted for review or assessment must be your own work. Assessable work is any type of work you do to meet the assessment requirements in the unit, including draft work submitted for review and feedback and final work to be assessed.
When you use the ideas, words or data of others in your assessment, you must thoroughly and clearly acknowledge the source of this information by using the correct referencing style for your unit. Using others’ work without proper acknowledgement may be considered a form of intellectual dishonesty.
Participating honestly, respectfully, responsibly, and fairly in your university study ensures the CQUniversity qualification you earn will be valued as a true indication of your individual academic achievement and will continue to receive the respect and recognition it deserves.
As a student, you are responsible for reading and following CQUniversity’s policies, including the Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure. This policy sets out CQUniversity’s expectations of you to act with integrity, examples of academic integrity breaches to avoid, the processes used to address alleged breaches of academic integrity, and potential penalties.
What is a breach of academic integrity?
A breach of academic integrity includes but is not limited to plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion, cheating, contract cheating, and academic misconduct. The Student Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure defines what these terms mean and gives examples.
Why is academic integrity important?
A breach of academic integrity may result in one or more penalties, including suspension or even expulsion from the University. It can also have negative implications for student visas and future enrolment at CQUniversity or elsewhere. Students who engage in contract cheating also risk being blackmailed by contract cheating services.
Where can I get assistance?
For academic advice and guidance, the Academic Learning Centre (ALC) can support you in becoming confident in completing assessments with integrity and of high standard.
What can you do to act with integrity?
