moral panic
Select an issue or story being discussed in the media which is an example of a moral panic. Select four news items about the issue and write a report that answers the following questions:

1. Explain how your example is a moral panic using the three criteria in Young (2011,249).

2. Does the moral panic (a) reproduce crime and deviance, (b) resist social change or emerging trends and/or (c) repress a secret fascination? (see Young 2011 251-255)

3. Identify the exaggerations or disproportionate claims in the news items you have selected and discuss whetherthey provide ‘symbolic reinforcement’ for prejudice or punitive attitudes.

4. What effect has the media response had on the police or political response to the issue, or on the lives ofthe people involved, and how? Preparation for this assessment is an integral part of your first three tutorials. You can use class discussion to answerthese questions and develop your understanding of the
theoretical material. You are expected to undertake additional research. Your bibliography should contain no fewerthan four references to news items, and four references to academic sources (including class readings).