New Name for Old Crimes – ‘Home Invasion’ and How a Media-Driven Moral Panic Shaped Legislation in New Zealand
Authors: Matthews, L.
Conference: Moral Panics in Contemporary World
Dates: 10-12 December 2010
Abstract:This paper examines a case study of moral panic reporting in New Zealand in the late 1990s with a view to considering its current relevance for crime journalism today.
In December 1998 New Zealanders learned from their news media that they were in the grip of a new crimewave called ‘Home Invasion’. Within days, media relabelling of historic crimes created a perception that this new crimewave had been underway for years. Within a few months, the Government enacted controversial legislation recognising ‘home invasion’, which was then used retrospectively against defendants.This paper argues that the ‘home invasion’ panic model closely resembles those developed by Cohen (1972) and Hall et al (1978) but with important variations. It shows that the news media initiated and consolidated the panic, thus serving as primary definers in the initial flashpoint phase. The paper contends that the simultaneous redefinition of historic crimes is a new development which arguably may advance the theory.
The paper’s findings are derived from a study of the ‘home invasion’ rhetoric from 1994-2000 in the country’s main print and television news outlets. It includes news source and keyword analysis. In conceptual terms, the paper seeks to further elaborate Hall et al.’s (1978) model, devoting particular attention to rethinking questions of amplification and the signification spiral.
Source: Manual
New Name for Old Crimes – ‘Home Invasion’ and How a Media-Driven Moral Panic Shaped Legislation in New Zealand
Authors: Matthews, L.
Conference: Moral Panics in Contemporary World
Dates: 10-12 December 2010
Abstract:This paper examines a case study of moral panic reporting in New Zealand in the late 1990s with a view to considering its current relevance for crime journalism today.
In December 1998 New Zealanders learned from their news media that they were in the grip of a new crimewave called ‘Home Invasion’. Within days, media relabelling of historic crimes created a perception that this new crimewave had been underway for years. Within a few months, the Government enacted controversial legislation recognising ‘home invasion’, which was then used retrospectively against defendants.This paper argues that the ‘home invasion’ panic model closely resembles those developed by Cohen (1972) and Hall et al (1978) but with important variations. It shows that the news media initiated and consolidated the panic, thus serving as primary definers in the initial flashpoint phase. The paper contends that the simultaneous redefinition of historic crimes is a new development which arguably may advance the theory.
The paper’s findings are derived from a study of the ‘home invasion’ rhetoric from 1994-2000 in the country’s main print and television news outlets. It includes news source and keyword analysis. In conceptual terms, the paper seeks to further elaborate Hall et al.’s (1978) model, devoting particular attention to rethinking questions of amplification and the signification spiral.
Source: Manual