"Symbolic rewarding is accomplished primarily by identifying heroes, villains, and neutral characters and associating them with specific traits, beliefs, and kinds of behavior. Symbolic punishment is achieved through labeling or stigmatizing certain activities or traits as antisocial, deviant or undesirable" (p. 13).
References:
Barak, G. (1994). “Media, society, and criminology.” In G. Barak (Ed.), Media, process, and the social construction of crime: Studies in newsmaking criminology. 3-45. Garland Publishing: New York.