Thesis (Ph.D.)--Brown University, 2005. / Vita. Thesis advisor: Tim Harris. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 390-441). Also available online.

This study aimed to provide insights into the manner in which the representation of social media usage in relation to cyber-related crimes within selected South African newspapers can potentially shape the ideas and perceptions that society may have towards social networking channels. Drawing on the literature from fields such as developmental studies, new media studies, identity formation and cyber-criminality, an analysis of the Price Water House Coopers Global Economic Survey (2011) was used to provide some insight into the issue of cyber-crime within South Africa. The survey which was conducted by Price Water House Coopers revealed that South Africa is ranked second in the world with the highest rate of reported fraud cases. According to them this rate is comparatively higher than the escalating percentage of cases reported in the United States and other nations. In order to correlate and illustrate some of the findings of the survey and that which was found through primary research, an in-depth content analysis applying limited designations analysis and detailed assertions analysis techniques (Du Plooy, 2007) has been performed on selected content from local print and online publications such as The Herald, Algoa Sun, The Weekend Post, The Sunday Times and News24, from the time period of January 2009 until January 2012. Herewith, a total of 125 articles were analysed in order to determine the tone and thematic nature of the communication within the respective platforms. Furthermore, the mass media has been argued as being the main platform of communication within society. Whereby, different communication techniques are used to communicate with different target audiences. On a theoretical level, the study explored whether or not social media perpetuates the prejudices of the modernisation theory or serves to challenge such prejudices. Furthermore, the study explored whether social media may potentially have an impact on the reported cyber-related crimes. Associated theory such as the representation theory, globalization, the privacy trust model, social contract theory, media richness theory, participatory theory, convergence, the digital divide, media-centricity, dependency and identity formation has been explored. It was found that social networking sites Facebook and Mxit have been represented as the most common platforms of cyber-related crime and women and teenagers are the most popular victims. The likelihood of individuals being exposed to cyber-crime within social networks is high due to the fact in order to develop online relationships, personal information needs to be shared. The Privacy Trust model was identified as being an important factor which shaped the findings of this study. This is due to the fact that a certain level of trust is held by social network subscribers to the Internet hosts who they entered into a social contract with and with their friends.

Thesis (MPsy(Specialisation))--University of South Australia, 2003.

Thesis (M.A.)--University of Delaware, 2006. / Principal faculty advisor: Tricia Wachtendorf, Dept. of Sociology. Includes bibliographical references.

Lee Yee Chong, Catherine. / Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 1994. / Includes bibliographical references. / Acknowledgments / Abstract / Chapter I. --- INTRODUCTION --- p.1 / The Media as Definer of Social Reality --- p.1 / Crime and Hong Kong -- A General Background (1989-1993) --- p.3 / Research Problem and Significance --- p.5 / Notes --- p.7 / Chapter II. --- THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK -- NEWS AS A SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF REALITY --- p.9 / Park (1940) -- News as Knowledge --- p.9 / The Social Construction of Reality --- p.11 / The Foundation of Knowledge in Everyday Life --- p.11 / Society as Objective Reality --- p.12 / Society as Subjective Reality --- p.13 / Media and the Social Construction of Reality: Towards an Integration of Theory and Research --- p.14 / Gatekeeping Theory --- p.16 / Agenda Setting Theory --- p.17 / Media Agenda Setting --- p.18 / An Integrated Theoretical Model for Crime News Study --- p.19 / Conceptualization of social realities --- p.20 / Inference in the process of social construction of reality --- p.20 / Figure 1: Integrated Theoretical Model for Crime News Study Notes --- p.22 / Chapter III. --- LITERATURE REVIEW --- p.24 / Understanding the News making Process --- p.24 / Empirical Research in Crime News (1950s - 1990s) --- p.25 / Crime News as a Distorted Reality -- Misrepresentation and biasin reporting --- p.25 / Criteria in News Reporting --- p.29 / How Crime News is Handled by the Press - -Differences in Media Agenda --- p.31 / Crime News and Criminal Activities in Contemporary Society --- p.33 / "Crime News, Public Attitude and Fear of Victimization" --- p.34 / Crime News in Chinese Newspapers --- p.35 / Major Publication in Crime and the Press (1970s - 1990s) --- p.36 / Quinney (1970) - -The Social Reality of Crime --- p.36 / Winick (1978) - -Deviance and Mass Media --- p.37 / Graber (1980) - -Crime News and the Public --- p.38 / "Ericson, Baranek and Chan (1987) --Visualizing Deviance: A Study of News Organization" --- p.41 / "Ericson, Baranek and Chan (1989) -- Negotiating Control: A Study of News Source" --- p.42 / "Ericson, Baranek and Chan (1991) - -Representing Order: Crime, Law, and Justice in the Mass Media" --- p.43 / Lotz (1991) - -Crime and the American Press --- p.44 / "Suretta (1992) -- Media, Crime, and Criminal Justices: Images and Realities" --- p.45 / Summary on Research Findings --- p.45 / Notes --- p.47 / Chapter IV. --- RESEARCH HYPOTHESES AND METHODOLOGIES --- p.50 / Research Hypotheses --- p.50 / Research Design --- p.52 / Definition of Crime --- p.52 / Background Information of Ming Pao and Oriental Daily News --- p.53 / Sampling and Data Collection Methods --- p.54 / Basic Research Design and Operationalization of Variables --- p.56 / Notes --- p.58 / Chapter V. --- CRIME NEWS IN HONG KONG --- p.59 / Size of Coverage and Various Visual Aids --- p.59 / Nature and Causes of Crime --- p.65 / Stereotypes of Suspects and Criminals --- p.67 / Stereotypes of Victims --- p.72 / "Sources, Information and Newsworthiness" --- p.73 / Image of Crime Fighting Institutions and Public Security --- p.78 / Distortions in Crime News Coverage --- p.80 / Official Reality versus Symbolic Reality --- p.81 / "Media Attention, Newsworthiness and Different Crime Topics" --- p.85 / Legitimating the Status of Law Enforcement Institutions --- p.87 / Differences in Media Agenda -- Elite Press versus Mass-Oriented Press --- p.88 / Notes --- p.92 / Chapter VI. --- THE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF CRIME --- p.93 / Official News Sources and News Organizations --- p.95 / Market Differences and Media Agenda --- p.96 / Manufacturing A Universal Consensus against Crime --- p.98 / Summary on Discussion --- p.100 / Recommendations for Further Study --- p.101 / Notes --- p.102 / Chapter VII. --- CONCLUSION --- p.103 / Notes --- p.105 / BIBLIOGRAPHY --- p.i -xii / Appendices / Appendix I -- Code Book --- p.1-13 / Appendix II --Table for sampling --- p.1-4 / Appendix III - -Score of Inter Coder Reliability Test --- p.1-2 / Appendix IV -- Important Crime Figures and Other Statistics --- p.1-11 / Appendix V -- Testing of Hypotheses --- p.1-2

CoordenaÃÃo de AperfeiÃoamento de Pessoal de NÃvel Superior / O trabalho reflete sobre como os meios de comunicaÃÃo retrataram mortes que se tornaram, devido à sua repercussÃo na imprensa brasileira, sÃmbolos de crimes violentos no PaÃs. SÃo estudadas de um ponto de vista sociolÃgico, fundamentadas em uma perspectiva de anÃlise compreensiva, as mortes de Daniella Perez, Tim Lopes, JoÃo HÃlio e Isabella Nardoni. Como recurso metodolÃgico, esses acontecimentos foram pesquisados, de 2008 a 2011, a partir de conteÃdos online disponÃveis na Internet. A revisÃo dos conteÃdos disponÃveis privilegiou o material produzido pela imprensa brasileira disponÃvel em websites que armazenam e possibilitam acesso a narrativas, discursos e argumentaÃÃes sobre cada um dos crimes. A compreensÃo desses conteÃdos se fundamentou em uma anÃlise crÃtica dos discursos produzidos por mÃltiplas instÃncias de produÃÃo de notÃcias e veiculados em diversos tipos de mÃdia. Cada um dos casos foi estudado em sua especificidade e possibilitou, tambÃm, uma anÃlise conjunta das sistematicidades pertinentes ao trabalho da imprensa na elaboraÃÃo de notÃcias e sentidos sobre os crimes estudados. Observou-se como a imprensa constrÃi formas de representaÃÃo dos crimes a partir de argumentaÃÃes que implicam na forma de reconhecimento social das vÃtimas e dos acusados de protagonizarem suas mortes. Verificou-se como os meios de comunicaÃÃo sÃo espaÃos de lutas polÃticas pelo estabelecimento da verdade e da justiÃa em relaÃÃo a cada um dos crimes. Ademais, evidenciou-se que as notÃcias, para a imprensa brasileira, sÃo formas de comunicar, discutir e problematizar sobre os princÃpios morais que fundamentam as sociedades democrÃticas de direito. Nessa pesquisa, foi possÃvel observar que, ao falar das mortes, as instÃncias de produÃÃo falam, sobretudo, da vida das pessoas envolvidas no acontecimento. Enquanto se preocupam em comunicar a morte de uma pessoa, os produtores de notÃcias se reportam a mÃltiplas questÃes sociais, retratando os aspectos subjetivos que envolvem cada um dos casos. Ao narrar as mortes de Daniella, Tim, JoÃo e Isabella, a imprensa brasileira discorreu sobre problemÃticas que envolveram sua realizaÃÃo, imprimindo sÃries de aspectos negligenciados e revelados conforme a lÃgica do que se deseja ocultar e demonstrar em seus conteÃdos. As maneiras de comunicar as mortes estudadas sÃo permeadas de argumentos que buscam criar uma maneira de ver, sentir, perceber e agir em relaÃÃo ao crime no Brasil.

Thesis (M.A.)--The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, 2007. / Adviser: Liesbet Hooghe. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--West Virginia University, 2000. / Title from document title page. Document formatted into pages; contains ix, 472 p. : ill. Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (p. 435-472).

Background: The media have an influential role within society and with media becoming increasingly more accessible over a number of different platforms it is important to comprehend what information is being received by audiences in order to then understand the consequences. Sweden has a reputation of being one of the most reputable countries, however a new, less flattering image has been emerging. There is a growing interest in what is happening in Sweden, especially since US President Donald Trump made his illusive comments in February 2017. Aim: The aim of this study is to explore how news sources in the Western world portray crime in Sweden. Two central questions are examined, (1) what crimes in Sweden are reported in western newspapers, and (2) what are the dominant themes in western newspaper’s discussions of crime in Sweden? Method: Qualitative content analysis was employed to evaluate 249 newspaper articles gathered through NewsBank database. Content of these articles became data which was coded via a data-driven coding frame. Data was partially double coded in an attempt to check consistency. Results: Part one results find that the most popular crime type in Western media crime in Sweden reports are violent crimes. A total of 111 articles in the sample written exclusively about specific events, 76 of which are violent offences. Part two of results explores the broader discourse. Conclusion: The focus on violent crimes is linked to a political discussion surrounding growing support for populist politics. The predominant narratives are, that immigration is to blame for rising crime levels, and Sweden’s identity crisis.

This study examines the social-psychological impact of of the Manson incident; which begins with the Tate-Labianca murders, continues with the arrest of Charles Manson and some of his followers, continues with the trial of Charles Manson and the co-defendants, and results in a popular image.