Course Description

This class concerns the representations of crime and the criminal justice system in the media. Television, film, newspaper, and electronic/internet media intersects with crime and the criminal justice system in a number of important ways. The point of this course is to examine how the media represents, distorts, and/or filters crime and justice issues. Also, the media is used as a mechanism to explore issues (e.g., political ideology, corrections policy, causes of crime) that are central to the study of crime.

Course Objectives/Outcomes
Upon completing this class, students will:

Required Course Readings

Textbooks:
Surette, R. (2011). Media, Crime, and Criminal Justice. 4th Edition. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth.

Beckett, K., and Sasson, T. (2004). The Politics of Injustice: Crime and Punishment in America. 2nd Edition. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Articles and Book Chapters (See links within syllabus calendar--see below)

Potter, G.W., and V.E. Kappeler (2006). Constructing Crime: Perspectives on Making News and Social Problems. Long Grove, IL: Waveland Press.

• Several chapters from this edited book are used throughout the semester

Cullen, FT., and K. Gilbert (1982). "Criminal Justice Theories and Ideologies." In, Reaffirming Rehabilitation. Cincinnati: Anderson.

Cullen, F.T., and R. Agnew. (2010). "The Chicago School: The City, Social Disorganization, and Crime." In, Criminological Theory: Past to Present. Fourth Edition. Los Angeles: Roxbury.

Petrosino, A., Turpin-Petrosino, C. and Finckenauer (2000). "Well-meaning programs can have harmful effects! Lessons from experiments of programs such as Scared Straight." Crime and Delinquency 46: 354-379.

Rafter, N. (2006). Shots in the Mirror: Crime Films and Society. Cambridge: Oxford University Press.

• "Introduction"
• Chapter 3, "Slasher, Serial Killer, and Psycho Movies"
• Chapter 4, "Cop and Detective Films"

Seabrook, J. (2008). "Suffering Souls: The Search for the Roots of Psychopathy," The New Yorker (November 10).

Seagal, D. (1993). "Tales from the Cutting Room Floor: The 'Reality" of Reality-Based Television," Harper's Magazine (November): 50-57.

Toobin, J. (2007). "The CSI Effect: The Truth about Forensic Science," The New Yorker (May).

Weidner, Robert R. (2008). "Methamphetamine in Three Small Midwestern Cities: Evidence of a Moral Panic," Journal of Psychoactive Drugs 41: 227-239.

It is the policy and practice of the University of Minnesota Duluth to create inclusive learning environments for all students, including students with disabilities.  If there are aspects of this course that result in barriers to your inclusion or your ability to meet course requirements – such as time limited exams, inaccessible web content, or the use of non-captioned videos – please notify the instructor as soon as possible.  You are also encouraged to contact the Office of Disability Resources to discuss and arrange reasonable accommodations.   Please call 218-726-6130 or visit the DR web site at www.d.umn.edu/access for more information. 

Cheating on exams or assignments will be dealt with in accordance with University policies. Anyone caught cheating on an exam will receive a zero for that exam. Plagiarism refers to presenting another's words or ideas as if they were your own. It is cheating and thus an academic offense. The penalty for plagiarism is failure for that particular assignment. I encourage you to work together, but you must turn in your own work. If you use ideas or words from the texts or outside readings, you must cite the work.

All students are expected to turn in assignments on the day they are due. Failure to do so will result in substantial penalties. If the assignment is not turned in within two school days of the due date it will not be accepted.

Exams: There will be a midterm and final exam for this class. The exam may be either take-home, "in class" or some combination of these two methods. Specifics for the exam will be disseminated to students as the class progresses.

Assignments: For most weeks, there will be a writing assignment based on the readings and/or course material. Most of the assignments involve answering questions designed to help you think critically about the course materials. You must complete all assignments. Assignments will be posted online at least one week prior to their due date. They are due on the calendar date where they are posted. These are meant to be exercises in ACADEMIC writing, so please follow the ASSIGNMENT GUIDELINES. You will lose points for improper citation, poor grammar, and spelling errors.

Discussion Questions: Each week, half of the students will be required to submit a "discussion question" based on the readings for that particular week. The discussion questions should be submitted via email. In the subject line, use only "DQ." For convenience, students will be assigned to one of two groups based on last names. The first group will include students with last names beginning with A-L (the AL group). The second group will include those students who have last names that start with the letters M-Z (the MZ group). The "DQ" column in the syllabus calendar indicates which group should submit the discussion question for that week. The questions must be received by the Tuesday before we discuss the topic.

Grading Scale: (Instructor reserves right to curve final grades upward)

Course Schedule: This course schedule is subject to change based on the pace of the course or other factors. The instructor reserves the right to add or remove readings and/or assignments. Students will be notified via email of any changes.