Moral Panics and Post 9/11 --> The media

Moral Panics and the media

Moral Panics and the media:

Moral panic is the intensity of feeling expressed in a population about an issue which appears to be a threat to the social order.

Stanley Cohen: moral panic occurs when a condition, episode, person or group of persons emerges to become defined as a threat to societal values and interests. Those who start the panic when they fear a threat to prevailing social or cultural values are known by researchers as "moral entrepreneurs", while people who supposedly threaten the social order have been described as "folk devils."

An issue that can be characterised as a moral panic in historical times was the fear of witches and the trials and executions that erupted from that fear.

One person cannot create a moral panic on his or her own, there needs to be a consensus. A group may then have the power to influence the opinions of others.

The current moral panic, while widespread, does not appear to affect everyone and as people perceive what is threatening and what is not, or what may be threatening but should not be feared in different ways, it would be very unlikely for a whole society to share the panic.

Post 9/11 and the media

Post-9/11 is a term used to describe the current state of living in the United States or other parts of the world after the September 11 attacks, in reference to the many changes that have occurred due to the attacks.

The 9/11 attacks were a series of co-ordinated suicide attacks led by Al-Qaeda that occured in the United States of America in the spring of 2001. In total 2,933 people, including the attackers died in the attacks whilst many buildings were destroyed.

Controversy

Following the attacks television evangelist Jerry Falwell called the event a punishment from God and laid the blame on "paganists", "abortionists", "feminists" and "gays and lesbians", claiming that they "helped this happen". He subsequently apologized.

The United States responded to the attacks by launching a "War on Terrorism", invading Afghanistan to depose the Taliban, who had harbored al-Qaeda terrorists, and enacting the USA PATRIOT Act.