scholarly journals Analysis of (un)official discourses on drug use in Serbia

Crimen ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-22
Author(s):  
Milana Ljubičić
Keyword(s):  
Social Cohesion ◽  
Public Discourse ◽  
Moral Panic ◽  
Media Content ◽  
Moral Panics ◽  
Official Discourse ◽  
The Social ◽  
Drug Policies ◽  
The Media ◽  
Definition Of

In the article, we analyse discourse on drug abuse in contemporary Serbia. The ruling official discourse on drugs can be subsumed under the definition of moral panic, in creation of which, as well in dissemination, the media play an important role. Media uses specific vocabulary to send message warning of an impending social catastrophe. This tactic is effective: recipients of media content become anxious and frightened by the downfall of the society that awaits them in the near future. So logically they are converting into supporters of official discourses on the topic. In the end, this process has the power to briefly connect a shredded tissue of social cohesion, but also to produce a lack of freedom of citizens. In order to investigate whether drug-related moral panics in our country can have such implications, in this paper we analyzed the official discourse embodied in anti-drug policies, and the public discourse offered by media. Findings suggest that policymakers are calling on war against drugs, and name prevention and criminalization as the most successful strategies to fight it. The recipients of media content are agreeing with them. Furthermore, there is no doubt that such o discourse encourages the spread of moral panic about drugs, as well as social cohesion. Although abstractly defined, the enemy - drug, has the power to unite. However, it also causes a lack of freedom. Because of the narrative of the impending catastrophe, the citizens feel powerless and therefore demand from the higher state authorities to act in the name of the social future.

scholarly journals Media Frames of the Ontario Safe Streets Act: assessing the moral panic model

SURG Journal ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-17
Author(s):  
Michael Bates
Keyword(s):  
Social Order ◽  
Moral Panic ◽  
Control Mechanisms ◽  
Moral Panics ◽  
Media Frames ◽  
Mainstream Media ◽  
Political Interests ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Media

This paper assesses the “moral panic” framework of Stanley Cohen with reference to panhandling and squeegeeing in Ontario. There are four general tenets of the moral panic model, three of which can be said to have been documented in the case of panhandling in Ontario: a recognized threat (panhandling), a rise in public concern, and punitive control mechanisms established to eliminate the threat. This paper argues that the fourth tenet, a stereotypical presentation of the moral threat to the social order, has not been systematically analyzed, and therefore that is the task of this paper. Specifically, this paper examines the framing used by the mainstream print media in Ontario to construct the panhandling/squeegeeing problem. Articles and letters­ to the­ editor were sampled from two mainstream Ontario newspapers, the Toronto Star and the Ottawa Citizen, to examine the mainstream media’s framing of panhandling and squeegee cleaning. This sample was taken between 1995 and 2005, a timeframe which revolves around the implementation of the Ontario Safe Streets Act 2000, which is recognized as the punitive control mechanism designed to eliminate the threat of panhandling. The findings of this paper lead to the conclusion that panhandling in Ontario during the implementation of the Ontario Safe Streets Act does not constitute a classic moral panic by virtue of the role the media played. However, the evidence that punitive control mechanisms were established absent the support of the mainstream media suggests that a deeper understanding of the role of mainstream media as well as political interests is required with respect to framing moral panics.

scholarly journals The social function of moral panic

2020 ◽  
pp. 59-75
Author(s):  
Aleksandra Ilić
Keyword(s):  
Social Control ◽  
Moral Panic ◽  
Social Function ◽  
Moral Panics ◽  
Social Actors ◽  
Professional Attitude ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Media ◽  
The Creation

In this paper, the author discusses the social context of moral panic, ie the role of various social factors in the creation of moral panic. Starting from the known mechanisms of moral panic (traditional and newer), the author considers the roles of the subjects of informal and formal social control in this process. In that sense, it stands out the activity of various moral activists as representatives of the informal social structure who, by propagating the importance of moral protection, often participate in the process of creating of many moral panics. On the other hand, the activities of formal social control bodies are regulated by an appropriate legal frame-work whose task is to solve the problem of crime in society. This implies a professional attitude of the police, the prosecution and the courts in terms of combating crime. The author points out the problem of the participation of the representatives of these bodies in the creation and development of moral panic, considering it in the context of the culture of control, ie its elements, emphasizing especially the role of the police. The author connects all the mentioned segments of the social function of moral panic with the role of the media as an unavoidable factor in the process of moral panic. At the end of the paper, the author emphasizes the importance of the role of the media in raising awareness of the importance of individual actions of all social actors in order to avoid their participation in the creation of moral panic that unfavorable affects on solving the problem of crime.

Austerity against the Homo Sovieticus

Focaal ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 (59) ◽  
pp. 51-65
Author(s):  
Daiva Repečkait
Keyword(s):  
Public Discourse ◽  
Lower Class ◽  
Shock Therapy ◽  
Language And Culture ◽  
The Public ◽  
The Social ◽  
Class Background ◽  
The Media ◽  
Economic Shock ◽  
Homo Sovieticus

This article analyzes the public discourse on the riots of 16 January 2009, in Vilnius, when protest against economic shock therapy ended in violent clashes with the police. Politicians and the media were quick to ethnicize the riots, claiming an “involvement of foreign influences” and noting that the rioters had been predominantly “Russian-speaking.” Analyzing electronic and print media, the article identifies a wider tendency, particularly among middle-class Lithuanian youth, of portraying the social class consisting of “losers of the post-soviet transition” as aggressive and primitive Others. A pseudo-ethnicity that combines Rus sian language and culture with lower-class background into a notion of homo sovieticus comes to stand for what is hindering the “clean up” of Lithuania and middleclass aspirations to form a new European identity. As such, the riots serve as a lens that illuminates the way ethnicity is flexibly utilized to shift political loyalties.

scholarly journals Transnational Marriages between Vietnamese Women and Asian Men in Vietnamese Online Media

2013 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 81-114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Danièle Bélanger ◽  
Khuất Thu Hồng ◽  
Trần Giang Linh
Keyword(s):  
Human Trafficking ◽  
Online Media ◽  
Media Content ◽  
Transnational Marriages ◽  
Vietnamese Women ◽  
International Marriages ◽  
The Social ◽  
Asian Men ◽  
The Media ◽  
Vietnamese Studies

This paper examines the social construction of marriage migration in Vietnamese online media. We present a content analysis of 643 items published online between 2000 and 2010 on international marriages between Vietnamese women and foreign Asian men. Our analysis reveals that online media content speaks to four important shifts discussed in Vietnamese studies: (1) shifts in notions of gender, sexuality, and marriage; (2) emerging discourses around class-making; (3) emerging discourse on human trafficking; and (4) shifting roles of the media.

scholarly journals ‘Do We Look like Boy Racers?’ The Role of the Folk Devil in Contemporary Moral Panics

2009 ◽  
Vol 14 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen Lumsden
Keyword(s):  
Moral Panic ◽  
Qualitative Interviews ◽  
Moral Panics ◽  
Ethnographic Fieldwork ◽  
Young Drivers ◽  
The Media ◽  
Collective Process ◽  
The Subject ◽  
Societal Reaction

This article addresses the failure of studies concerning moral panics to take into account the reaction of those individuals who are the subject of social anxiety. It responds to the suggestion by McRobbie and Thornton (1995) that studies of moral panic need to account for the role played by the ‘folk devils’ themselves, for a moral panic is a collective process (Young, 2007). The paper presents findings from ethnographic fieldwork with the ‘boy racer’ culture in Aberdeen, qualitative interviews with members of outside groups, and content analysis of media articles. The societal reaction to the ‘boy racer’ subculture in Aberdeen is evidence of a contemporary moral panic. The media's representation of the subculture contributed to the stigmatization of young drivers and the labelling of the subculture's activities as deviant and antisocial. The drivers were aware of their negative portrayal in the media; however their attempts to change the myth of the ‘boy racer’ were unsuccessful. Although subcultural media can provide an outlet of self-expression for youths, these forms of media can also become caught-up in the moral panic. Ironically the youths’ own niche and micro media reified the (ir)rationality for the moral panic.

scholarly journals Cannabis, Moral Entrepreneurship, and Stigma: Conflicting Narratives on the 26 May 2016 Toronto Police Raid on Cannabis Shops

2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 148-171
Author(s):  
Thaddeus Müller
Keyword(s):  
Media Coverage ◽  
Moral Panic ◽  
Historical Context ◽  
Social World ◽  
State Agencies ◽  
Social Constructions ◽  
Moral Panics ◽  
The Media ◽  
Police Raid ◽  
Do So

On May 26, 2016, the police raided 43 cannabis dispensaries in Toronto, Canada, making 90 arrests. This article aims to describe the narrative of the responsible state agencies concerning the police raid and compare it to the narrative of those who opposed it, such as activists, as well as consumers and sellers of cannabis. While such concepts as moral entrepreneur, moral panic, and moral crusade have traditionally been used to study those in power, I will employ them to explore both the state narrative and ways in which counterclaims-makers resisted it. In order to do so, I will further develop the concept of moral entrepreneurship and its characteristics by relating it to studies of moral panics and social problems. This article will be guided by the following question: How did each party socially construct its cannabis narrative, and in what way can we use the concept of moral entrepreneurship to describe and analyze these narratives as social constructions? I have investigated the media coverage of the raid and ethnographically studied shops in Toronto in order to study the narratives. My findings show that both parties used a factual neutral style, as well as a dramatizing style. The later includes such typical crusading strategies as constructing victims and villains and presenting the image of a dystopian social world. In order to explain the use of these strategies, we will relate them to the shifting wider social and historical context and to the symbolic connotation of cannabis shops in Toronto in particular and in Canada as a whole.

When the History Turns Stronger than the Rhetoric

2013 ◽  
pp. 118-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ullamaija Kivikuru
Keyword(s):  
New Media ◽  
Empirical Evidence ◽  
Social History ◽  
Sub Saharan Africa ◽  
Media Content ◽  
Editorial Office ◽  
The Media ◽  
Media Professionals ◽  
Sub Saharan ◽  
Definition Of

The 1990s brought radical changes to Sub-Saharan Africa. In the rhetoric, the ownership mode appeared as a crucial marker of freedom. However, neither the access to the media nor the media content has changed much. The media mode, inherited from previous phases of social history, seems to change slowly. Old modes reproduce themselves in new media titles disregarding ownership mode. In this chapter, empirical evidence is sought from Namibia and Tanzania. The empirical evidence is based on two sets of one-week samples (2007, 2010) of all four papers. In this material, a government paper and a private paper from one particular country resemble each other more than when ownership modes are compared. Bearers of the journalistic culture seem to be to a certain extent media professionals moving from one editorial office to another, but the more decisive factors are the ideals set for journalism. The “first definition of journalism” reflects old times.

The Social Mediation of Economic Discourse

2021 ◽  
pp. 42-74
Author(s):  
Keith Tribe
Keyword(s):  
Nineteenth Century ◽  
Political Economy ◽  
Public Discourse ◽  
Popular Literature ◽  
Academic Journals ◽  
Economic Discourse ◽  
Social Mediation ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Media ◽  
The Creation

In the course of the nineteenth century, political economy shifted from a discourse printed in books and journals and directed primarily at ‘men of affairs’ to a stratified public discourse. Where argument had once appealed to ‘reason’, argument by authority now became more significant in the teaching and publications of academic economists. This chapter shows the media through which this transition was effected—clubs, societies, and associations, adult extension teaching, popular literature, the creation of examinations and professional qualifications, and, in some limited cases, certification for employment, plus the creation of specialised academic journals.

scholarly journals AI in the headlines: the portrayal of the ethical issues of artificial intelligence in the media

AI & Society ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 927-936 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leila Ouchchy ◽  
Allen Coin ◽  
Veljko Dubljević
Keyword(s):  
Artificial Intelligence ◽  
Media Coverage ◽  
Public Discourse ◽  
Ethical Issues ◽  
Public Debate ◽  
Daily Lives ◽  
Novel Technologies ◽  
Regulatory Frameworks ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Media

Abstract As artificial intelligence (AI) technologies become increasingly prominent in our daily lives, media coverage of the ethical considerations of these technologies has followed suit. Since previous research has shown that media coverage can drive public discourse about novel technologies, studying how the ethical issues of AI are portrayed in the media may lead to greater insight into the potential ramifications of this public discourse, particularly with regard to development and regulation of AI. This paper expands upon previous research by systematically analyzing and categorizing the media portrayal of the ethical issues of AI to better understand how media coverage of these issues may shape public debate about AI. Our results suggest that the media has a fairly realistic and practical focus in its coverage of the ethics of AI, but that the coverage is still shallow. A multifaceted approach to handling the social, ethical and policy issues of AI technology is needed, including increasing the accessibility of correct information to the public in the form of fact sheets and ethical value statements on trusted webpages (e.g., government agencies), collaboration and inclusion of ethics and AI experts in both research and public debate, and consistent government policies or regulatory frameworks for AI technology.

Moral Panic and Reading: Early Elite Anxieties About the Media Effect

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 523-537 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank Furedi
Keyword(s):  
Moral Panic ◽  
Moral Authority ◽  
Moral Concern ◽  
Moral Panics ◽  
Media Effect ◽  
Potential Threat ◽  
The Public ◽  
Printed Media ◽  
The Media ◽  
Potential Impact

From its inception the medium of writing has been a source of moral concern. The growth of the printed media reinforced these apprehensions. Fears about the media effect on the behaviour of readers became recurring phenomena – in some cases provoking reactions characterised as a moral panic. These periodic outbursts of disquiet can be best understood as panics about the potential impact of the media on public morality. Such reactions were not simply media panics but panics about the effects of the media. The focus of anxiety was not on any particular issue but on the threat to moral authority posed by the media on the outlook and behaviour of the public. By its very existence the media appeared to represent a potential threat to the moral order. Exploring the moral dimension of this reaction is essential for the study of moral panics.

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