moral panic

a feeling of fear spread among many people that some evil threatens the wellbeing of society.  It is “the process of arousing social concern over an issue – usually the work of moral entrepreneurs and the mass media” [a dictionary of sociology]

The mass media has become a key player in creating a ‘focus’ for this evil to be represented – even if the group in question is not consciously engaged in said issue. AN example of the mass media pushing a moral panic would be the red scare (mccarthyism, 1947)

 Stanley Cohen states that moral panic happens when “a condition, episode, person or group of persons emerges to become defined as a threat to societal values and interests”.

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