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Northern Essex Community College

Module 3 Prep Activity

Review the activity overview, learning objectives, directions, and submission expectations before submitting your work.

Overview

This activity is designed to help you critically examine how crime is presented in the news media and how those portrayals compare to actual crime data. By analyzing crime-related articles from a newspaper of your choice, you will identify patterns in the types of crimes reported and the characteristics of victims and defendants. You will then compare these media representations with statistical information from this week’s readings to evaluate accuracy and potential bias. The goal is to develop media literacy and a deeper understanding of how public perceptions of crime are shaped.

Learning Objectives

(These objectives support the prep activity and are not the questions to be answered.)

  • LO1: Identify how the media reports crimes and criminal activities. (SLO2)
  • LO2: Discuss the characteristics of the typical offender and the typical victim. (SLO1)
Prep Topic

After completing this week’s assigned readings, prepare to participate in an in-class discussion examining how the news media portrays crime and whether those portrayals accurately reflect crime in society.

Before coming to class, select a newspaper (print or online) and locate four (4) crime-related news articles. As you read each article, create a bulleted list (not full paragraphs) that addresses the following:

  • The types of crimes reported across the four articles.
  • Common characteristics of the victims described in the articles.
  • Common characteristics of the defendants or suspects described in the articles.
  • Similarities and differences between the news coverage and the crime trends presented in this week’s assigned readings.
  • At least three examples that support the argument that the news media does provide an accurate picture of crime in society.
  • At least three examples that support the argument that the news media does not provide an accurate picture of crime in society.
  • Based on your analysis, which position do you find more persuasive, and why?
  • One question or observation you would like to discuss with your classmates.
Acceptable & Ethical Use of AI
  • Use AI to help you organize and categorize the crime articles you selected (types of crime, victim characteristics, and defendant characteristics) so you can clearly identify patterns before writing your response.
  • Use AI to assist you in comparing the patterns you observed in the news articles with the statistical trends discussed in this week’s readings, helping you clarify whether media portrayals align with crime data before completing the activity.
Directions

Please read all instructions carefully before submitting your prep activity.

  • Your prep should be no longer than one page.
  • This is not a paper; it should consist of concise talking points and bullet statements for our in-class discussion.
  • An abstract is not required.
  • Sources are not required.
  • Focus on key concepts, analysis, and examples that will help guide classroom discussion.
  • Do not overthink this activity. A simple list of well-developed talking points is sufficient.
Submission Guidelines
  • Submit your prep activity through the designated submission area.
  • Accepted formats include Word or PDF unless otherwise specified.
  • Review the grading rubric before submitting your work.
  • Submissions are checked using both a plagiarism checker and AI detection software.
  • Direct quotations should not exceed 15% of the total submission.
Important Reminder

Important: All work must be your own. AI may be used only in the limited and ethical ways described above. Using AI to write your submission is considered academic dishonesty. This activity is intended to prepare you for class discussion, so focus on creating your own talking points and analysis.