Introduction: Mass media, as one of the most powerful social institutions of the present age, play a decisive role in shaping the mental image audiences hold of the criminal phenomenon. The extensive and sometimes selective reflection of crimes in the media not only affects public perception of the reality of crime but can also lead to the creation of waves of moral panic and processes of social stigmatization. This phenomenon gains double importance within the context of cultural criminology, which emphasizes the social construction of crime and its symbolic meanings. The objective of the present study is to analyze the role of mass media in producing moral panic and stigmatization toward offenders, examine the impact of these processes on the formation of fear of crime at the societal level, and ultimately explore its consequences for contemporary criminal policy. This study attempts, with a critical perspective, to explain how media representation of crime transforms into the driving force of penal populism and the demand for strict policies.
Method: The present research was conducted using the analytical-descriptive method and employing the theoretical framework of cultural criminology. Data collection was carried out through library research and review of reputable domestic and international sources in the fields of media, criminology, and criminal policy. In the descriptive section, key concepts such as media representation, moral panic, stigmatization, fear of crime, and penal populism were explained based on existing theories. In the analytical section, by comparatively examining the findings of previous research (including works by Zokaei, Asiyai, Nikookar and Hemmatpour, Gholami, as well as studies by Akdeniz and Altiparmak), the relationships among variables were analyzed, and the consequences of media representation of crime for contemporary criminal policy were critically evaluated.
Findings: The research findings show that media, through various mechanisms such as exaggerating violent crimes, highlighting rare but shocking events, stereotyping offenders (especially youth and subcultural groups), and creating semantic links between crime and specific social groups, fuel the production of moral panic and intensify stigmatization. This process is usually accompanied by claims from media experts about “the moral order being at risk” and the need for decisive reaction. It was also found that there is a significant relationship between media representation of crime and increased public fear of delinquency, such that heavy media consumers experience higher levels of insecurity and fear, even if official crime statistics indicate a decrease. This induced fear provides a suitable ground for the growth of penal populism and pushes politicians toward adopting strict and symbolic approaches that respond to public demands stirred up by media, rather than being based on scientific evidence.
Results: Based on the research findings, it can be concluded that media representation of crime in the current context, rather than leading to realistic awareness about the criminal phenomenon, fuels the production of moral panic, social stigmatization, and intensification of fear of crime. This situation ultimately legitimizes populist criminal policy; a policy that, by emphasizing severe punishments and retributive approaches, has not only shown its ineffectiveness in reducing crime rates but has also reinforced discriminatory stereotypes, marginalized vulnerable groups, and weakened the capacities of restorative justice. In contrast, those patterns of media representation that focus on analyzing the social roots of crime, avoiding stereotyping, and presenting a realistic picture of delinquency and offenders can help reduce moral panic and fear of crime and pave the way for adopting participatory and prevention-oriented criminal policies.