Stanley Cohen Theory - Moral Panics

For the formation of Cohens theory he wrote about - Folk Devils and Moral Panics: The Creation of the Mods and Rocks. A condition, Episode, people or groups of people that emerge to become a threat to societal values and interests are known as folk devils.













An example of 'Folk Devils' in relation to recent media would be Rihanna and Miley Cyrus, highly to do with their ideolgy they are currently presenting. Their explicit music videos baring from very minimal clothing to none at all and lighting up joints during live performances all sends out negative messages to the audience that are ebing seen by young children who look up to these artists as their idols. "nature influenced by stereotypes within the media."



How do Moral Panics start?
- Projections of fear around stories or types of people.
- Found in all media - Films/Tv/News/Radio
- Media stereotype and assume the worst in relation to the panic and makes the consumers worry, eg the london riots - press over emphasise.

How the theory started?
- Initial research based on mod and rockers - conflict between the teen groups in the 60s.
- Teenagers causing mass panic due to difference between mods and rockers numerous fights were recorded and a big fight broke out of control on brighton beach.
- This developed the theory and can no be applied to a numerous subcultures labelled as devient or dangerous by the media.
- Affects in relation to the music industry are implied through song lyrics. For example, music that is stereotypically listened to by the stereotyped group 'emo's' is known to contain messages aimed toward the audiences slitting their wrists. If an audience member of this music does react to this message by killing themselves in this way and it makes it into the media spotlight a connection could be connected to the music and the artist will be to blame. This will become a moral panik if then similar stories in relation to the same artist or subject matter comes forward and informs the viewers of the same incident.
Cohen looked at how the mods and rockers were perceived in the public eye: The main criticism was these people were seen to be as a threat to law and order largely through the way the mass media represented them, this is known as 'control culture'. - Sensationalising.












Media Links: 
- Clockwork Orange - 1971, film adaption of the 1962 novel was seen as a moral panic in the industry.
- Press started to sensationalise this film and started to report of a state of copycat crimes from the film.
- Clockwork Orange fascinated a quiet boy from a grammer school so he battered to death a harmless old tramp as he acted out in real life a scene from the movie  - daily mirror report.
- The term clockwork orange became a euphemism for a negative outlook on crime as it represented youth in a negative way.
- Media still mentions it in the news today as it was such a huge moral panic.