JSB155 Crime, Media and Politics
To view more information for this unit, select Unit Outline from the list below. Please note the teaching period for which the Unit Outline is relevant.
| Unit code: | JSB155 |
|---|---|
| Equivalent(s): | JSB282 |
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Timetable | Details in HiQ, if available |
| Availabilities |
|
| CSP student contribution | $2,174 |
| Pre-2021 CSP student contribution | $1,020 The pre-2021 commonwealth supported place (CSP) contribution amount only applies to students enrolled in a course prior to 2021. To learn more, visit our Understanding your fees page. |
| Domestic tuition unit fee | $3,456 |
| International unit fee | $4,932 |
Unit Outline: Semester 1 2026, Kelvin Grove, Internal
| Unit code: | JSB155 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Equivalent: | JSB282 |
| Coordinator: | Laura Vitis | laura.vitis@qut.edu.au |
Overview
Crime and the media have long shared a complex and interwoven relationship. The media, in all of its forms, has played an influential role in the way crime has been portrayed, perceived, perpetrated, and prevented. Therefore, all justice professionals need to have both a grounded and critical understanding of this complex relationship, granting them an ability to work effectively with and alongside media in their justice profession. The unit explores both traditional and contemporary media, such as digital and social and evaluates among other areas, how the different media shapes public understandings of crime and criminality and how this portrayal influences criminal justice policy and practice.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
- Evaluate the relationship between media and crime and the contribution of media in shaping public perceptions of crime and criminality.
- Discuss how media influences crime-related policy and and the implications for criminal justice and related agencies.
- Propose evidence-based recommendations for the ways media engage with crime and politics.
- Explain the ethical and social justice implications of crime portrayal and crime media reporting.
- Communicate professionally and ethically with peers to facilitate discussions on the relationship between crime, media and politics.
Content
The unit will cover these topics:
- history of crime and the media
- fear of crime and moral panics
- newsworthy crime
- investigative journalism
- nature and function of different forms of media
- media and cultural criminology
- policy and politics
Learning Approaches
In this unit, you will learn by engaging in the following:
- lectures - live and pre-recorded
- tutorials - face-to-face or online
- online discussion forum
- readings, media and video resources.
The unit adopts an interactive and problem-based learning approach in which you are encouraged to identify, observe and critique different forms of media and media reporting. You will be encouraged to engage with different media sources and cases to analyse, being asked to develop strategies to better inform media reporting and engagement.
Feedback on Learning and Assessment
Feedback in this unit is provided to you in the following ways:
- a range of formative exercises discussed and undertaken throughout the unit
- feedback from peers as you investigate and discuss issues raised throughout the unit
- comments about summative assessment work included with your grade
- general summative assessment feedback posted to the whole cohort via the unit Canvas site.
Assessment
Overview
In this unit there are two assessments:
1. Media article - This task draws on key concepts of crime in the media and your own ethnographic field diaries to produce an opinion piece media article.
2. Case Study - This task brings together core unit concepts to analyse a specific high-profile case in the media and present the analysis.
Unit Grading Scheme
7- point scale
Assessment Tasks
Assessment: Media article
You will discuss crime types and produce an opinion piece media article about a specific type of crime.
Part A - You will write weekly ethnographic field diaries on crime types and how they are depicted in the media.
Part B - You will write an opinion piece media article responding to how a specific type of crime is depicted in the media and the implications resulting from this. Your opinion piece will draw upon your ethnographic field diaries.
The use of artificial intelligence tools (for example Chat GPT) is not permitted in any assessment in this unit. The use of such tools when not authorised may be treated as a breach of MOPP C/5.3 Academic integrity and appropriate penalties imposed.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
Assessment: Media Analysis
You will take on the role of a media advisor in government to deliver a media analysis for your supervisor on a specific high-profile case in the media. Your analysis will respond to and review the case in the media, review media-reported political responses, discuss the implications for policy and other agencies and propose recommendations for the media's engagement with the case or similar cases.
The use of artificial intelligence tools (for example Chat GPT) is not permitted in any assessment in this unit. The use of such tools when not authorised may be treated as a breach of MOPP C/5.3 Academic integrity and appropriate penalties imposed.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.
The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.
You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.
Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.
Resources
There are no resources that are required to be purchased for this unit. Resources will be available in the unit's Canvas site.
Risk Assessment Statement
Students are advised that some content in justice units may be confronting. If you are concerned that the content of a unit may impact your completion of the course, please see the unit coordinator. You can also access free student counselling through QUT Counselling via the QUT Student Homepage.
Course Learning Outcomes
This unit is designed to support your development of the following course/study area learning outcomes.JS34 Bachelor of Justice
- Apply social and criminal justice principles to explain justice issues and contexts.
Relates to: ULO1, ULO2, ULO4, Media article, Media Analysis - Collect and analyse evidence to inform decisions and recommendations in justice systems.
Relates to: ULO3, Media Analysis - Communicate justice and social issues in respectful, professional and ethical ways with other professionals and stakeholders.
Relates to: ULO5, Media article - Facilitate discussions and collaborate with stakeholders in the justice sector.
Relates to: ULO5, Media article
Unit Outline: Semester 1 2026, Online
| Unit code: | JSB155 |
|---|---|
| Credit points: | 12 |
| Equivalent: | JSB282 |
Overview
Crime and the media have long shared a complex and interwoven relationship. The media, in all of its forms, has played an influential role in the way crime has been portrayed, perceived, perpetrated, and prevented. Therefore, all justice professionals need to have both a grounded and critical understanding of this complex relationship, granting them an ability to work effectively with and alongside media in their justice profession. The unit explores both traditional and contemporary media, such as digital and social and evaluates among other areas, how the different media shapes public understandings of crime and criminality and how this portrayal influences criminal justice policy and practice.
Learning Outcomes
On successful completion of this unit you will be able to:
- Evaluate the relationship between media and crime and the contribution of media in shaping public perceptions of crime and criminality.
- Discuss how media influences crime-related policy and and the implications for criminal justice and related agencies.
- Propose evidence-based recommendations for the ways media engage with crime and politics.
- Explain the ethical and social justice implications of crime portrayal and crime media reporting.
- Communicate professionally and ethically with peers to facilitate discussions on the relationship between crime, media and politics.
Content
The unit will cover these topics:
- history of crime and the media
- fear of crime and moral panics
- newsworthy crime
- investigative journalism
- nature and function of different forms of media
- media and cultural criminology
- policy and politics
Learning Approaches
In this unit, you will learn by engaging in the following:
- lectures - live and pre-recorded
- tutorials - face-to-face or online
- online discussion forum
- readings, media and video resources.
The unit adopts an interactive and problem-based learning approach in which you are encouraged to identify, observe and critique different forms of media and media reporting. You will be encouraged to engage with different media sources and cases to analyse, being asked to develop strategies to better inform media reporting and engagement.
Feedback on Learning and Assessment
Feedback in this unit is provided to you in the following ways:
- a range of formative exercises discussed and undertaken throughout the unit
- feedback from peers as you investigate and discuss issues raised throughout the unit
- comments about summative assessment work included with your grade
- general summative assessment feedback posted to the whole cohort via the unit Canvas site.
Assessment
Overview
In this unit there are two assessments:
1. Media article - This task draws on key concepts of crime in the media and your own ethnographic field diaries to produce an opinion piece media article.
2. Case Study - This task brings together core unit concepts to analyse a specific high-profile case in the media and present the analysis.
Unit Grading Scheme
7- point scale
Assessment Tasks
Assessment: Media article
You will discuss crime types and produce an opinion piece media article about a specific type of crime.
Part A - You will write weekly ethnographic field diaries on crime types and how they are depicted in the media.
Part B - You will write an opinion piece media article responding to how a specific type of crime is depicted in the media and the implications resulting from this. Your opinion piece will draw upon your ethnographic field diaries.
The use of artificial intelligence tools (for example Chat GPT) is not permitted in any assessment in this unit. The use of such tools when not authorised may be treated as a breach of MOPP C/5.3 Academic integrity and appropriate penalties imposed.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
Assessment: Media Analysis
You will take on the role of a media advisor in government to deliver a media analysis for your supervisor on a specific high-profile case in the media. Your analysis will respond to and review the case in the media, review media-reported political responses, discuss the implications for policy and other agencies and propose recommendations for the media's engagement with the case or similar cases.
The use of artificial intelligence tools (for example Chat GPT) is not permitted in any assessment in this unit. The use of such tools when not authorised may be treated as a breach of MOPP C/5.3 Academic integrity and appropriate penalties imposed.
This assignment is eligible for the 48-hour late submission period and assignment extensions.
Academic Integrity
Academic integrity is a commitment to undertaking academic work and assessment in a manner that is ethical, fair, honest, respectful and accountable.
The Academic Integrity Policy sets out the range of conduct that can be a failure to maintain the standards of academic integrity. This includes, cheating in exams, plagiarism, self-plagiarism, collusion and contract cheating. It also includes providing fraudulent or altered documentation in support of an academic concession application, for example an assignment extension or a deferred exam.
You are encouraged to make use of QUT’s learning support services, resources and tools to assure the academic integrity of your assessment. This includes the use of text matching software that may be available to assist with self-assessing your academic integrity as part of the assessment submission process.
Breaching QUT’s Academic Integrity Policy or engaging in conduct that may defeat or compromise the purpose of assessment can lead to a finding of student misconduct (Code of Conduct – Student) and result in the imposition of penalties under the Management of Student Misconduct Policy, ranging from a grade reduction to exclusion from QUT.
Resources
There are no resources that are required to be purchased for this unit. Resources will be available in the unit's Canvas site.
Risk Assessment Statement
Students are advised that some content in justice units may be confronting. If you are concerned that the content of a unit may impact your completion of the course, please see the unit coordinator. You can also access free student counselling through QUT Counselling via the QUT Student Homepage.
Course Learning Outcomes
This unit is designed to support your development of the following course/study area learning outcomes.JS34 Bachelor of Justice
- Apply social and criminal justice principles to explain justice issues and contexts.
Relates to: ULO1, ULO2, ULO4, Media article, Media Analysis - Collect and analyse evidence to inform decisions and recommendations in justice systems.
Relates to: ULO3, Media Analysis - Communicate justice and social issues in respectful, professional and ethical ways with other professionals and stakeholders.
Relates to: ULO5, Media article - Facilitate discussions and collaborate with stakeholders in the justice sector.
Relates to: ULO5, Media article