Kaye Academic College of Education

About: Kaye Academic College of Education is a education organization based out in Beersheba, Israel. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Teacher education & Heutagogy. The organization has 87 authors who have published 179 publications receiving 2221 citations.

Mass Media Reference to Hit-and-Run Accidents in Israel: 'Moral Panic' or 'Media Hype'?

Abstract: This study examines the phenomenon of 'moral panic', a term coined by Cohen in the 1970s, in light of its advantages and the criticism toward it nowadays. The major criticism of this term today is that it is no longer relevant, or that it is significantly different from its past usages. One the reasons for this criticism stems from the fact that postmodern society is more heterogeneous than ever and has much less consensus regarding norms and values. The mass media plays a pivotal role in creating 'moral panic' by molding certain events or depicting specific groups, by alarming the public. In turn, the public demands more social control and that definitive action be taken against so-called 'deviant' behaviors or groups. Following criticism of the exaggerated use of the term 'moral panic' and its use as a label in almost every mass media context, numerous articles and much research have been generated in an attempt to distinguish between 'moral panic' and 'media hype'. This paper proposes a model that integrates both types of panic: moral and media, by analyzing two cases related to the hit-and-run [henceforth: HR] phenomenon. The main motivation for this paper and research stems from the fact that, despite the decrease in the number of fatal casualties in HR accidents in Israel, the media coverage of this phenomenon continues to gain momentum. This study uses a qualitative research method and provides content analyses of a variety of mass media tools in Israel.