Final Exam: This exam is worth 100 points and is directly related to your reading assignments. Questions
are to be answered in essay form. You will answer these questions in “take-home” format, type it in a Word
Document, and submit it to me via E-mail as an attached file on or before the day they are due. You must
answer both questions.
All written exams must be typed and double spaced, include page numbers, be in Times New Roman 12
point Font, have Standard 1 inch Margins, and MUST BE WELL WRITTEN AND ORGANIZED. Use
citations when needed and do not plagiarize, your exams will be submitted to Turn It In and checked for
authenticity.
Failure to follow these instructions will result in a grade reduction. Failure to turn in these exams on time will
also result in a grade reduction (one letter grade for every day an exam is late.)
You must answer both questions and complete the exam in one file. Do not create two separate files to
answer both questions and do not write your answers in the body of an email.
Question 1: (Answer Length 2 to 3 pages)
In using the readings for guidance, I want you to discuss why negative media coverage about crime, policing
and corrections is more newsworthy than positive news stories and address what you think can be done to
change the public perception about crime, policing and corrections. Think in terms of what can be done to
reduce fear and improve perceptions. Furthermore, I want you to address who is most responsible for the
narrative that is told within the media about crime, policing and corrections and what if anything can be done
to present a more fair and truthful narrative about these issues within the criminal justice system.
Question 2: (Answer Length: 2 to 3 pages)
Again, in using your readings for guidance, I want you to take a local or national criminal event (limited to
United States) and discuss how competing narratives or constructions of the issues were framed within the
media. In your discussion, I want you to focus on both the positives and negatives of how this event was
covered and how the media may have used pieces of the event you have chosen to manipulate public
perception. Finally, I want you to discuss how coverage of this event within the media made it more or less
likely to generate positive social change and positively impact criminal justice policy.
