Description
Book SynopsisThis book provides a socio-legal examination of the mediaâs influence on the development and implementation of criminal justice policy.
This impact is often assumed. And, especially in the wake of high-profile crimes, the press is routinely observed calling for sentences to be harsher, and for governments to be tougher on crime. But how do we know that there is a connection? To answer this question, the book draws on a case study of the media reporting of the rape and murder of Jill Meagher in Melbourne, Australia; as well as other well-known cases, including those of James Bulger, Sarah Payne, Stephen Lawrence and Michael Brown, among others. Deploying a socio-legal framework to examine how the mediaâs often powerful and emotive narratives play a crucial role in the development and implementation of law, the book provides a deep and critical reflection on its influence. The book concludes with a number of suggestions for media reform: both to moderate the mediaâs influence, a
