The Media and Criminologists: Interactions and Satisfaction

Abstract

Traditionally, academic criminologists have addressed two audiences—other academics and students—while largely ignoring other segments of society. Frequently neglected is attention to educating the public. This paper uses a random sample of American Society of Criminology (ASC) members to measure the level of interaction with and attitudes toward criminologists working with the media. Findings suggest that most criminologists have participated in an isolated incidence of working with the media, tend to be generally satisfied with this experience, and perceive working with the media as a worthwhile endeavor for criminologists.

Notes

1. The authors, therefore, do not contend that criminologists have some innate propensity to push aside their subjective and political desires, as much as it is argued that criminologists are social scientists specializing in crime trends and policies.

2. The authors understand that not all members of the ASC are necessarily academic criminologists, as is assumed here. However, this is the central national organization for this discipline and is commonly known as the central organization for academic criminologists.

3. Interestingly, when examining the characteristics of individuals reporting that they do not believe media activity is important or valuable, no patterns or trends appear across demographics, experiences, or media participation rates. In fact, among the 5.3% of respondents reporting they do not see importance in doing media activities, 53% have done at least one media interview/appearance.