Week Two – Writing Assignment #1
Option 1: Moral Panic
Crime is a popular topic discussed in the news, both locally and nationally. News media tend to focus on crime stories because they know it will capture and maintain an intrigued audience. How are criminals depicted in the news? What narratives do the media perpetuate about crime and criminals? Are there any discriminatory differences in how the news media portrays certain types of offenders? Provide a specific example.
Option 2: Psychoactive Drugs
The way society and the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) classify drugs has major implications for the criminal justice system. Illegal drugs are classified by two major factors:
their potential for abuse and
for their known medical utility.
The ratio between the effective dose (ED) and lethal dose (LD) is used to determine the relative toxicity and safety of a substance. Review the DEA Drug Schedules and answer the following: Do you agree with the way the DEA currently schedules illicit substances? Why or why not? What, if any, changes would you recommend? What are the common stereotypes that society has about specific drug users? How does this impact the way drugs get scheduled?
