How Helpful Is the Concept of Moral Panic in Understanding Recent Essay

How Helpful Is the Concept of Moral Panic in Understanding Recent Media Coverage of Muslims - Essay Example A critical analysis of the concept of moral panic The feelings generated from intense expression of an issue considered a social threat constitutes moral panic. The concept of moral panic is considered essential in enhancing processes of societal sensitization in moral issues. It also entails the creation of awareness in regards to challenges that threaten social order, as well as the acceptable virtues in the society, and are caused by deviant groups or individuals. Arguments and social tension becomes rationale for various controversies, where disagreements do not have room, since the society becomes a back-up tool for the proposed agendas. The main agent for the spread of moral panic is the media, owing to the recent technological developments in the adoption of integrated communication frameworks (Allen and Seaton, 1999). A cluster of characteristics is attributed to the concept of moral panic, which includes moral concern. This entails awareness creation to the society that the activities of a certain group are likely to cause societal disorder, leading to long-term negativity. Hostility is also increased in that, the society sees the deviant groups mentioned as folk devils that are not supposed to dwell among other people. Consensus is also an important feature since the infected society concedes in the aforementioned item of agenda that is anticipated to cause panic in the target society. However, the conceding groups do take action that is not tantamount to the real threat that is caused by the deviant groups. Disproportionality occurs in such a phenomenon, since the take of the issue is usually weighty to extents that are not in regards to the proximity of the deviant... The main idea of the report is media coverage which has also utilized moral panic to develop a take of the Muslims as financially and economically successful people. They are associated with wealth and excellence due to their optimistic nature. Their commitment when handling their religious, political, economical, social, and cultural values has overwhelmed a majority. Televisions, radio stations, and internet blogs present the Muslims as economical threats in their areas of occupation, owing to their hardworking nature. This has also acted as a rationale for the economical improvements in fear of it being triumphed by the Muslims due to moral panic presented by media. Their comprehension as political threats has made it possible for countries to develop moral panic in electing Muslim leaders to eradicate political domination. This paper makes a conclusion that the recent years have seen the usefulness of moral panic by media in the enhancement of the understanding of recent media coverage of Muslims. Media coverage is also an instrument for transformation of crucial information, a field that has developed in the recent years in terms of new devices acquirement. The understanding of Muslims has received both a positive and a negative take in the contemporary society. However, the media should lay new strategies that would enhance the understanding of societal issues in true manners, rather than creating moral panic that creates hostility and other negative impacts, especially in promoting the understanding recent media coverage of Muslims.