The Media
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------->

Short Cuts - Introduction - Case Studies - Columbine - Waco - Dunblane - Gun Culture -
Menezes - Films - Dirty Harry - Lock Stock - Computer Games- Guns and Music - USA -
Rap - UK - Garage - Grime - Race - Gender - Gun Manufacturers - Conclusion

Introduction

The media exposes the UK and the USA to violence in a number of ways though TV, video games, Hollywood and even the news. Because we see so much violence through the media some people believe we have become desensitised to it. In the USA people get more moved by pictures of starving children in another country than the death of children through gun violence in their own. In the UK people are still more shocked by gun crime because it occurs so much less often.The gun generation today is getting younger and younger now boys as young as 13 are drifting in and out of the gangster lifestyle (Salaria, 2003). Salaria suggests that the UK are at the same stage that America was a decade ago so gun crime could become as commonplace in our media headlines as it is in America.

Most of the information that public agents give to the public is mediated in some way by the media. This is because the media represents from the top down starting with political leaders and newspaper owners whose opinions are privileged. Marxists suggest that the media is controlled by the ruling bourgeois elite and operates in the interests of that class.

“Everyday newspaper headlines scream for our attention with stories designed to shock, frighten, titillate and entertain” (Jewkes, 2004, p3). Mass society theory is one of these theories, it sees individuals as uneducated, ignorant, potentially unruly and prone to violence. In this theory the media is seen as a powerful force for controlling people’s thoughts.

Case Studies and The Media

The media itself is a large money making operation which is trying to sell papers and get ratings so crime stories have become increasingly victim centred (Jewkes, 2004, p47). Jewkes says this is because personalisation gives storeys a human interest. The reader/viewer will have prior knowledge and experiences that will influence their reaction and feelings towards certain pieces of information and news items. “For example, an urban crime or drug story may automatically trigger the presupposition of a perpetrator or victim who is a member of a minority, lower socioeconomic class, and so forth” (Wright, 1995, p179).

The public make a choice as to whether the victims of certain events are worthy or unworthy victims, do they deserve being hurt or not (Wright, 1995, p163). Alongside this the journalists themselves have there own opinions, values etc that effect news stories (Wright, 1995, p180). “Rather, news, like all social reality is socially constructed” (Wright, 1995, p178).Personal stories sell papers because people can relate to the characters involved. “ According to research, the British press devote an average of 65% of their crime reporting to stories involving interpersonal violence, although police statistics indicate that only around 6% of recorded crime involves interpersonal violence” (Jewkes, 2004 p54). The case studies that I discussed earlier all attracted a large amount of media interest and influence, below I have examined this in more detail.

USA

Columbine
Columbine generated far more media coverage than any other such event since 1996 and precipitated the most intense period of legislative activity on school violence. After Columine the media in America actually blamed a violent subculture on TV etc. One of the main media scapegoats was Marilyn Manson who actually cancelled the last 10 days of his tour out of respect for the events at Columbine High. The two boys listened to Marilyn Manson’s music and although no official link was made between this and the shootings two years later when he finally went to Denver people were still protesting against his presence.

Marilyn Manson himself suggests perhaps it is the violence from the president that influences people more then his music. (Cited in Moore, 2002). A countries involvement in conflict actually does bare relation on gun violence and America seems to constantly be involving itself in some kind of conflict somewhere or other (Moore, 2002).

Waco
The Branch Davidians had been in the area for at least 60 years but prior to February 28th 1993 little was known to the American public about them beyond their neighbours. On February 27th 1993 The Waco Tribune- Herald (a Texas newspaper) began the ‘sinful Messiah’ series, alleging that David Koresh (leader of the Branch Davidians) had physically and sexually abused children at Mount Carmel. The articles were instigated by the cult awareness network and claimed the Branch Davidians were cultists and David Koresh a brainwashing cult leader (Wikipedia, 2006).

Waco residents were wary of the growing number of people and weapons residing in the Mount Carmel compound and this combined with the newspaper stories put pressure on the authorities to take some sort of action against the Davidians. The day before the warrants were served by AFT officials, the Tribune Herald criticised the law enforcement agencies for failing to take action (Wikipedia, 2006). Television crews were tipped off about the raid and followed the AFT to the compound. Images of the initial strike and retreat were broadcast there is no agreement as to who fired first but reporters at the scene said “the front of the building exploded in gunfire from within” (Wikipedia, 2006). The following 51 day stand off provided abundant and grim media viewing for millions of people worldwide.

“The episode drew attention to the heavy handed and ill- considered exercise of the federal authorities” (Hunt, 2003, p28). However the media presented the story largely without criticism of the government or the FBI and so there was little public sympathy for the Branch Davidians (Wright, 1995, p117). In the eyes of the public the Branch Davidians were not fully humanised so they were not in the category of worthy victims. (Wright, 2005, p163).

The FBI kept control over the media and what they were allowed access to during the siege, any reporters who got to close were treated harshly. “Indeed, some media personnel have said that in the Waco situation there was more governmental control then they had ever experienced in long careers covering the news” (Wright, 1995, p164). What the FBI was doing was exploiting the media to show themselves in a positive light and to cut off Koresh’s contact with CNN to stop him gaining any public sympathy. Wright (1995, p166) suggests that media access would perhaps of had a humanising effect. During this event the FBI had total control of the media.

“Authorities treated the media simply as a resource to be allocated and used as they desired, and as a nuisance to be dealt with severely if they refused to comply” (Wright, 1995, p167). Official reports actually went so far as to blame the media for what happened which suggests more controls need to be on the media in future situations of this kind.

The full media support of the handgun ban could certainly be an example of this as people were shocked and appalled at the Dunblane massacre and it caused fear for the safety of children nationwide. Dunblane also shows that the media can help fight gun crime as well as contribute to it

Although the media were responsible for exposing the IPCC report they were also used by the Metropolitan police to give the impression that they had good reason to suspect Menezes. Not only this but the media themselves had helped create the panic that has led to so much fear of terrorist bombs, which has led some to support the Shoot to kill policy.

Presdee (2000) found crime and violence to be comodified and thus desired to the extent that they are widely distributed through all forms of media to be pleasurably consumed (cited in Jewkes, 2004, p54). There is a view that the media we are consuming is heavily influenced by America and that it is corrupting our British way of life with vulgar American culture and that among other things this is leading to increased gun crime and gang warfare (Jewkes, 2004, p13).This theory suggests the media is corrupting us through films, video games and music which make guns acceptable in youth culture. I am now going to look at these media influences in more detail.

Films

Cinemas top rating movies present guns as fun, stylish, sexy and fashionable being used by fun, sexy, fashionable people. In movies for example Dirty Harry (described below) heroes and heroines are seen using guns to solve problems. Also guns are used to excite audiences and add excitement to the film for example films like Lock stock and two Smoking Barrels (described below).

USA

Dirty Harry.
Directed by Don Siegel.
A roof top Sniper (Andy Robinson) calling himself Scorpio has killed twice and holds the city ransom with the threat of killing again. Dirty Harry (Clint Eastwood) goes after the sniper and it soon becomes clear will get the bad guy one way or another. Harry is portrayed as a cool and streetwise cop with no respect for authority and only he will be tough enough to catch this psychopath. The opening scene is of a pretty girl in a swimming pool being shot by a sniper. The first gun battle starts just 11mins50secs into the film, when there is a gun shoot out across the street, in which no one is hurt except Harry and the bad guy. The film has achieved cult status with lines that everybody knows:

“You have to ask yourself one question, do you feel luck? Well do ya punk?!” This line is repeated at the end of the film. The film features numerous guns and four gun battles during which no innocent bystanders get hurt. The violence is glamorised to portray a battle between good vs. evil where the good guy wins by taking things into his hands with his gun to help.

UK

Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels
Directed by Guy Ritchie

Eddy (Nick Moran) has been known as a cardsharp since he was young. So he and his three friends Soap ('Dexter Fletcher' ), Tom ('Tom Flemyng' ) and Bacon (Jason Statham) all decide to chip in Ł25,000 each to allow him to play in an illegal high-roller game run by one of the local villains, Hatchet Harry (P.H. Moriarty). However, Eddy didn't realise the game was crooked and he ends up owing Harry Ł500,000 with dire threats about losing his fingers one at a time if he doesn't pay within a week!

Our heroes discuss various completely illegal schemes to obtain the money and eventually decide to rip-off the gang of thieves next door who themselves are planning to raid a clandestine cannabis growing operation which keeps all of its money in shoeboxes. There is involvement of a conscientious debt-collector, some public school "chemists", a psychotic hash-baron and a lot of guns and knives. The four friends are not themselves your usual hero’s, they are jack the lads who dabble with illegal goods, gambling and scams to get rich quick. However they are the good guys and hatchet Harry and his Klan are the bad guys because they are not afraid to hurt people and cheat in the card game. Guns feature throughout this film and it is the end gun battles that ensure Karma is resolved with all the bad guys getting shot while the good guys escape unharmed. A pair of antique double-barrelled shotguns, worth half a million pounds also play a role in all the confusion. The film is in a sort of East End western with good guys and bad guys and the guns helping to get rid of the bad guys.

Computer Games

“Video and computer games such as grand theft auto and the getaway allow us vicariously to indulge in violent criminal acts” (Jewkes, 2004, p3)

Guns and Music

Gangster raps often mention the 9mm which is now the world’s most popular gun and so is most easily recognised both in sight and in name. The 9mm has come to represent power and authority as movies and music have given it notoriety (Heaton, 1999). Police chiefs have also singled out the music industry for criticism, as they claim it glamorises gun-related violence (Goodchild, 2006).

Rappers glorify gangster lifestyles and the gun but the music industry says they are not to blame. Rap has never been cited as a motive for anyone picking up a gun and killing people in a court of law. But it advertises a lavish lifestyle and it is used to sell that lifestyle from the clothing to jewellery and now guns. Rap is a very powerful influence and many think that that influence should be used in a more positive way (Salaria, 2003).The gangster image is a very seductive one but the music scene is being blamed when really the problems lie with the underlying issues of poor education and little chance of success for many young black people (Salaria, 2003).

There is the notion of an inferior class that has a mental deficiency that prevents them from distinguishing between media images and real life, this underclass is seen as the biggest threat to society. The violence associated with gangster rap seems to be largely concentrated in the black community it is argued by some that this is because vulnerable, marginalised members of society are the most susceptible to glamorized portrayals by the mass media (Jewkes, 2004, p15). When horrific crimes occur its easy to scapegoat the media rather than actually look at the problems within society (Jewkes, 2004, p13).

In America being a rapper is a dangerous profession with a long list of high profile shootings including Tupac Shakur aka 2Pac. Who was shot on Sept 7th in 1996 (he died on Sept 13th) and Christopher Wallace aka Biggie Smalls on March 9th 1997. Even the first rapper to ever hit the big time Jam Master Jay who was not rapping about guns but had a more positive message was shot at point blank range in the head in 2002. Police never arrested anyone neither was a motive for the killing ever discovered.

The opening scene of the movie shows his character getting shot nine times. In 2005 in a Cinema in Pittsburgh screening of the film was suspended after a 30 year old man Shelton Flowers got into an argument that got him shot in the leg, the bullet hit an artery and he died in hospital less than an hour later. Although there were many violent films out at this time this one met with particular controversy as it glamorises gangster violence and guns.

When Asher D was sentenced no music stations would play his records and so when he finished serving his 18 month sentence his record label dropped him. The music industry had been burnt by the So Sold crew and is now more careful.

Mike Jervis a community worker with Waltham Forest council says "The music is an escape for theses kids. Many of them lead miserable lives and the excitement of the music is all they have. "The code - the violence and the ideas of respect and disrespect - is exclusive to them and it makes them feel special" (cited in Dovkants, 2005).

The crime reduction charity Nacro, points to government research that shows people from minority ethnic groups are no more likely to get involved in crime than white people (Gould, 2002). Hall (1970’s) did a study called 'policing the crisis' he found a moral panic about mugging carried out by black males led to heavy handed policing and over arresting. Also that the Medias portrayal of the 'black criminal' caused public fear and hostility. (Jewkes, 2004, p19).

What they suggest is that gun ownership has remained constant but it is the gun manufactures who want us to think there are a lot of women buying guns to encourage other women to buy guns. As it is the gun manufacturers that have the power it is their voice that is being heard through the media.

For the gun companies themselves fashion, marketing and design are very important. Beretta became the weapon of choice for cinema action heroes. Films like Baz Loman's Romeo and Juliet have led it to be the gun of the elite (Heaton, 2003). Along with films there are violent TV shows where the poor street gangs fight for good e.g. 'The Bowery Boys' and 'The Dirty Dozen'.