Institutions are the Problem, Not the People:

Mass Media Representations of Incarceration

Introduction

Methods

Findings and Analysis

Questions Raised

References

List of News Segments

Introduction

The current research is sociological in nature, drawing heavily on the existing body of criminal justice literature and examinations of news media portrayals of marginalized populations.
Incarceration and news media representations intersect in a significant way with regard to the perceptions and ideas that are transmitted to the audience.

Tukachinsky et al. wrote “a substantial body of content analytic work has demonstrated that news and entertainment programming offer largely negative depictions of diverse groups, varying based on the type of content and the particular group” (2015).
- Much of the existing research involved a fusion of criminal justice and sociological considerations regarding the media that specifically dealt with largely negative portrayals of marginalized populations.
  - Specifically, a significant body of literature was dedicated to examining the overwhelmingly negative portrayals of Black Americans in the news. That is, a disproportionate portrayal of blacks as dangerous, violent, and as the perpetrators of crime.
In spite of the statistics indicating otherwise, the choice of mass media organizations to portray minorities as criminals and perpetrators of crime creates its own reality in the eyes of the audience who consumes this media.
Graves discussed television as a "window to the world," offering vicarious experience and serving to socialize viewers through the content that is presented. (1999, 707).
- Regarding incarceration, portrayals of incarceration and inmates in the news provide a stereotyped and unrealistic depiction that is absorbed by the audience and serves to inform or reinforce their ideas on the issue.

Methods

A content analysis of television news segments, from five major news outlets, pertaining to incarceration and issues related to corrections.

"Content analysis is a careful, detailed, systematic examination and interpretation of a particular body of material in an effort to identify patterns, themes, biases, and meanings," (Berg and Lune, 2012, 349).
This research focused on the content of news media segments pertaining to incarceration that could be found from each of five major media organizations: CBS, NBC, MSNBC, CNN, and FOX. With six segments, the overall sample size was n=30.
- The segments ranged in length from about 30 seconds to 11 minutes. There was one segment from 2016, one from 2017, nine from 2018, and 19 from 2019.

In order to analyze the chosen news segments in a systematic way, a checklist was developed to analyze each segment for certain elements and to make note of what was included or absent in a given segment.

One of the news segments that was analyzed in this research, for example, covered the story of Matthew Charles, a man recently released from incarceration following sentencing reforms that addressed discrepancies resulting from the crack/cocaine era.

When analyzing this research, a functionalist perspective served as a frame from which to approach the results gathered after applying the checklist to the news segments.

Findings and Analysis

The majority of the news segments were features/highlights of a particular issue and generally emphasized the role that the system plays on the individual rather than focusing on the role individuals play in the system they occupy.
The presentation of crime in the news tends to follow a script that breaks down complex stories and circumstances into easily digestible points. This has been noted before, however, the manner in which stories of crime or incarceration are framed and portrayed has changed.
- Rather than problematizing the individual, the segments analyzed tended to highlight the flaws of the system itself.
- News coverage of incarceration and incarcerated individuals tended to present a positive picture of the individual while criticizing the system of incarceration as a whole

In several cases, rather than taking away the voice of a marginalized population, the news served as a platform for which individuals gained attention and even sympathy for their circumstances.
Although race and ethnicity remain problematic issues in regards to news media presentations and inclusion, the opportunities provided by news coverage can serve a useful purpose.
Also considered in the analysis was the presence of images of incarceration, such as jumpsuits, barbed wire, shackles, bars, etc.
- The inclusion or presence of such imagery in the presentation of the news reflects the importance of considering the implicit messages the news organization is sending to its viewers.
- Specifically, I imagined that these images would be used to convey the message that those who are incarcerated are inherently violent and dangerous (needing restraint, separation, tight control, etc.,).
  - However, the more common use of these images in news broadcasts was to provide context (such as showing the exterior of a particular facility), or to highlight the poor conditions and often problematic treatment of incarcerated individuals.

Some of the most telling findings pertained to the context provided about the individual portrayed in a segment and the manner in which segments situated the case in the overall issue of incarceration and criminal justice system.
- In 20 of the 30 segments, the issue at hand was related back to criminality on the macro- or historical sense, largely critiquing the flaws and issues that are present.
- For instance, several cases discussed the death penalty, sentencing issues related to the crack/cocaine epidemic, wrongful convictions, and racial injustice within the criminal justice system and institution of corrections specifically.
- In contrast, while 18 segments commented on an individual's past criminality or prior record, 12 did not, and, further, 23 segments provided no context or background about the individual's life, while seven situated the individual in terms of their history and background.
  - These points further strengthen the claim that news media coverage of incarceration tend to focus on the system rather than the individual.

Demetrius Anderson discussing his controversial revocation of release after years on the outside.

Matthew Charles has made national news for attending the State of the Union Address and gaining the attention and advocacy of celebrities such as Kim Kardashian-West

Protesters outside of a correctional facility in Brooklyn, NY, protesting the lack of heat and decent living conditions of the inmates there

Questions Raised

This research raises questions about the role that news media plays in informing its audience, whether serving to inform and reinforce stereotypes and prejudices or bring flaws and problems within the criminal justice system to light.
The emphasis of news coverage on macro-level and historical issues rather than personal stories and cases is a surprising finding given the existing research that suggests that the news often serves to reinforce negative stereotypes either through negative portrayals or exclusion from coverage.
This shift or discrepancy in the literature can be examined perhaps by considering the cultural and political changes that have occurred or are occurring, as well as by considering the changes in technology and the various outlets through which news can be consumed.
Future research might also look to examine the portrayal of female inmates given that the segments chosen in this research dealt exclusively with a male sample.

References

Berg, Bruce L. and Howard Lune. 2012. “Qualitative Research Methods for the Social Sciences.” Pearson: Boston. Retrieved from https://bridges.rwu.edu/access/content/group/5fd0e4c1-9058-4f58-a0d5-ee558f0c5230/POINTERS%20FOR%20CONTENT%20ANALYSIS.pdf
Graves, Sherryl Browne. "Television and Prejudice Reduction: When Does Television as a Vicarious Experience Make a Difference?" Journal of Social Issues55, no. 4 (1999): 707-27. doi:10.1111/0022-4537.00143.
Tukachinsky, R. (2015). Where we have been and where we can go from here: Looking to the future in research on media, race and ethnicity. Journal of Social Issues, 71(1), 186-197. DOI:10.1111/josi.12104