College of Political Knowledge

A Side Note:  This post is my 5000th post…..I guess that would explain the restless nights, headaches and my fingers becoming more tired and a lot more stubby…..I would like to thank my friends, followers and readers for making my blog a joy.

Anyone that reads this blog will know that I do not care for the MSM so much……I will NEVER be a popular blog because I refuse to pile on the crap and sink to the level of  insulting the opposition with every opportunity (I have had occasion when I thought someone was speaking out their butt and call them on it and sometimes very uncomplimentary)  to me they are just another problem that has NO solution…….take for instance in the recent weeks….we have had a woman that testifies and becomes a story…..we have a teenager that is shot and killed…..and most recently we have a comment about stay at home Moms…..all three and not the only ones just the most recent have become reports that have driven the political debate….all three have turned into media gold.

These types of situations are what is known as a “moral panic”.

Moral panics are in essence controversies that involve arguments and social tension and in which disagreement is difficult because the matter at its center is taboo.   The media have long operated as agents of moral indignation, even when they are not self-consciously engaged in crusading or muckraking. Simply reporting the facts can be enough to generate concern, anxiety or panic.  (Thanx to Wikipedia)

Moral panics can be identified by these characteristics:

Moral panics have several distinct features. According to Goode and Ben-Yehuda, moral panic consists of the following characteristics:

• Concern – There must be awareness that the behaviour of the group or category in question is likely to have a negative impact on society.
• Hostility – Hostility towards the group in question increases, and they become “folk devils”.   A clear division forms between “them” and “us”.
• Consensus – Though concern does not have to be nationwide, there must be widespread acceptance that the group in question poses a very real threat to society.   It is important at this stage that the “moral entrepreneurs” are vocal and the “folk devils” appear weak and disorganised.
• Disproportionality – The action taken is disproportionate to the actual threat posed by the accused group.
• Volatility – Moral panics are highly volatile and tend to disappear as quickly as they appeared due to a wane in public interest or news reports changing to another topic.

Moral panics occur when the media concentrates on any given problem which is then exaggerated and blown out of all proportion.  The perceived problem is depicted as being typical of a wider social disease which if unchecked will threaten our social tranquility.  Normally it involves groups that are being targeted and scapegoated and blamed for all the ills in our society.

Now think back for the last couple of weeks…..we have had a woman being called a slut and women being ostracized as a group….we have had a teenager shot and the case was already tried in the media with the help of the media….and finally, a comment made by a pundit about work and women and it has turned into a major story as well as a campaign pitch by a candidate…..these three are examples of a moral panic generated by the media….I am speaking about all the media one ideology does not have a high ground in this situation.

Let’s look at a recent situation, the most recent moral panic….a comment was made that a woman has never worked a day in her life……the story became that a stay at home Mom does not work…..this is a false but effective attack…..everyone who heard that comment knew what the pundit was saying……the media took semantics and ran with it……(please before the insults begin…I am NOT saying that being a Mother is not hard work…it is) I am only illustrating how one simple word can be turned into an effective “moral panic”.

Another illustration is the dog stories from the last week or so……the media was fixated on this instead of doing reports on the 6th anniversary of Romneycare in Mass….since the repeal of Obamacare is a priority for the GOP you would think that the model used would be a little more important than an old dog story or what breed was on the menu……

………Again a “moral panic”!