This unique book explores the social processes which shape fictional representations of police and crime in television dramas. Exploring ten leading British and European police dramas from the last twenty-five years, Colbran, a former scriptwriter, presents a revealing insight into police dramas, informed by media and criminological theory.

This unique book explores the social processes which shape fictional representations of police and crime in television dramas. Exploring ten leading British and European police dramas from the last twenty-five years, Colbran, a former scriptwriter, presents a revealing insight into police dramas, informed by media and criminological theory.

Policing and the Media provides an up-to-date overview of the changing dynamics and dimensions of the relationships that exist on the British police-media nexus. Factual, fictional and factional representations of policing in the media are the major - and for a great many citizens probably the sole - influence in shaping their perceptions and opinions about crime, law and order, community safety, police efficiency and integrity, not to mention the efficacy of criminal justice and penal policy. This book deals with all three representations, noting the lines between such clear divisions are increasingly blurred and the concepts of reality, realism and representation, slippery and complex.

Despite being an increasingly high profile subject, few publications address media representations of law and order head on. This book aims to meet this need by bringing together an important range of papers from leading researchers in the field, addressing issues of fictional, factual and hybrid representations of crime in the media.

Crime, Justice and the Media examines and analyses the relationship between the media and crime, criminals and the criminal justice system. This expanded and fully updated second edition considers how crime and criminals have been portrayed by the media through history, applying different theoretical perspectives to the way crime, criminals and justice are reported. The second edition of Crime, Justice and the Media focuses on the media representation of a range of different areas of crime and criminal justice, including: new media technology e.g. social network sites moral panics over specific crimes and criminals e.g. youth crime, cybercrime, paedophilia media portrayal of victims of crime and criminals how the media represent criminal justice agencies e.g. the police and prison service. This book offers a clear, accessible and comprehensive analysis of theoretical thinking on the relationship between the media, crime and criminal justice and a detailed examination of how crime, criminals and others involved in the criminal justice process are portrayed by the media. With exercises, questions and further reading in every chapter, this book encourages students to engage with and respond to the material presented, thereby developing a deeper understanding of the links between the media and criminality.

A comprehensive introduction to policing in England and Wales, providing you with an in-depth understanding of the challenges and complexities of modern policing and an increased awareness of the history and development of the profession. This second edition covers the most pressing debates and issues associated with contemporary policing and examines a range of key topics such as methods of policing, diversity and the police, police accountability, and much more. The new edition includes: A new chapter on women in policing Expanded content on diversity issues within the police service An account of the changes to transnational policing as a result of Brexit Reflections on the use of social media by police Advice for those wanting to embark on a career in the field. Written in an introductory way that is ideal for any policing, criminology, or criminal justice student new to police studies.

In today's society, the public perception of crime has been skewed by how the media depicts it. People use the media for enjoyment, companionship, surveillance, and interpretation. The problem is that it becomes hard to separate fact from entertainment. This raises several questions. How are we consuming media? Are we consuming reality within the news? And are we consuming harmless pleasure from entertainment media? In Crime, Media, and Reality: Examining Mixed Messages about Crime and Justice in Popular Media, Venessa Garcia and Samantha Garcia Arkerson focus predominantly on the social constructions of crime and justice and how we absorb them. They look at the influence of crime news and true crime television series that prevent the public from understanding pure entertainment from the realities of crime and justice. They bring to light the social science knowledge missed by media "infotainment," which has blurred the line between information and entertainment. Throughout, all different forms of media are discussed, news media, crime dramas and true crime television series. In doing so, they keep all of its fascinating coverage while uncovering the reality of crime and justice. This book adds significant information to the constructs held by the general public by placing media depictions into historical, legal, and social context.