Images of Deviance in the Media: A Comparison of Low and High Consensus Deviance Newspaper Articles

Abstract: This is a 10 page paper comparing two newspaper articles: one which reported low consensus deviance (smoking); and one which reported high consensus deviance (murder). Two articles were found published within the last two weeks in the Toronto Star which provided a good contrast in reporting styles, intended audience, and low and high consensus deviance. One article, the low consensus deviance article on Canadian youth smoking was written by a Toronto Star reporter and provided a fairly distant, highly statistical account of a recent survey taken. The second article, the high consensus deviance article reporting a murder in California by two brothers is considered more sensational in content and was mass distributed by the Associated Press. The reason why it would be of interest in Toronto may be because of the inclusion of the television show The Sopranos as an influence on the boys

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Catagory: General

Subcatagory: Communications, Media, Theory, Etc

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