Moral Panic

What is moral panic?
Horror films are often the centre of moral panic
Cohen (1972) argues that a moral panic is when the media amplifies an event to refer to its consequences to much wider social issues.
Moral panic is essentially a 'crusade' against behaviour or is perceieved negative developments in society.

Papers that run moral panic;-
News Of The World
The Daily Mail
Daily Express

How and Why do they work?
It works by raising the alarm and awareness in people by suggesting the event or incident is responsible of a decline in standards or values. That society is becoming more dangerous and permissive.
Suggests morality today is as strong as in ' Golden Age'
Used by politicians and Campaigners


Moral panic has created changes in the law including the 1984 Video Recording Act that gave the BBFC power to classify videos and an amendment to the Crimal Justice and Public Order Bill, insisted the BBFC took issues of 'harm' on board when classifying films.