THE MEDIA AND THEIR ROLES IN THE CONTINUATION OF CRIME AND CRIMINAL VICTIMIZATION: SILENCE, MISTAKE AND CRIMES

Abstract

The Caribbean has been experiencing a crime problem for some time, which dates back even before the 1980s. As a result of the crime problem, a conference was held in 2001 to address the causes, consequences, challenges and the way forward and this was aided by the World Bank which sponsored a study to examine crime and poverty. The crime pandemic has resulted in heightened fear of victimization in the region, much so that people are afraid to report threats. Although the media provides an account and makes the cases of crimes to the general public, they oftentimes disregard individual and collective security in the pursuit of reporting the information. Within the context of the crime problem experienced in many Caribbean societies, particularly Jamaica, Trinidad and Tobago and Barbados, the media play increases the fear factor as in their desire to report and inform people of crimes who make it difficult for the individual as well as the society. The aim of this study is to explore, evaluate and critically examine what accounts for business entities and appears to have a fear of reporting threats and the media displays a disregard for individual and collective security. The first person to postulate that crime is a normal part of the functioning of a society was Emile Durkheim. He contended that “Crime is needed a maintain itself and that there is no society that does not have crime........†(Durkheim, 1895), suggesting that crime must be managed in order to deal with threats to the individual, safety and rights of the individual as well as those of the society. Because a society must continue to coexist with crime, threat will also be a normal part of the society and the media can play a role in the safety and stability of the society through its actions (or inactions).