Deviancy amplification spiral
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In 1972, Stanley Cohen wrote a book entitled, Folk Devils and Moral Panics (ISBN 0415267129). The thesis of the books is that moral panics usually include what Cohen called the deviancy amplification spiral.
The spiral starts with some "deviant act". Usually the deviance is criminal but it can also involve legal acts considered (rightly or wrongly) morally repugnant.
The mass media report what is newsworthy. Bad or frightening situations are reported. What is not frightening and would help the public keep a rational perspective tends to be ignored.
Minor problems are made to look serious. Rare events are described as if they were the norm. Gullible and frightened members of the public buy newspapers; they listen to radio or television programmes and believe what they are told. This is profitable for those who run the media. Irresponsible publicity can increase deviant behaviour.
In the next stage, typically public concern about crime forces the police and the whole law enforcement system to focus more resources on dealing with the specific deviancy than would otherwise be necessary. Police under public pressure make more arrests. Judges and magistrates under public pressure pass stiffer sentences. All this tends to convince the public that any fear was justified while the media continue to profit by reporting police and other law enforcement activity.
Moral panics do not always include the deviancy amplification spiral. The witchhunts that occurred in medieval times did not have significant media involvement. In modern times media involvement is usual in any moral panic.
References
- The course texts for the Open University Course, DD 100.