Society is constantly bombarded with media images on a daily basis. In the field of media criticism and cultural studies, it is generally accepted that these media images do not simply bounce off the individual without penetrating their psyche. Thus, the media images that we see have the power to influence our ways of thinking, our vision of society and to dictate our actions. Although critical media and cultural studies engage deeply with the debate over advertising and consumerism, it is known that media also educates. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an Original EssayMass media and popular culture serve to inform us about societal norms. The role of media is important and grand as it also educates the society on complex topics such as crime, forensics and law. Many scholars from the discipline of critical media and cultural studies have commented on the power of media to educate and influence society's views and perceptions on these topics. These scholars have failed to approach critical media and cultural studies in the prescribed manner. Critical Media and Cultural Studies recognizes that while various platforms of media transmission may be busier or more popular, all forms of media essentially reinforce each other and fit into a coherent paradigm. This article will pick up where these other researchers left off, in an attempt to understand the relationship between crime, forensics, the law and media representations, but across all platforms. This article also hopes to construct a theoretical framework for the implications of media representations of these topics in detective novels, media and television shows. In order to complete such an analysis, several questions will need to be answered within the limits of this article. Each of the three chosen platforms – crime novels, news outlets and television shows – will be analyzed to show the perceptions they create regarding crime, forensics and the law. Second, this research will show how this affects societal behavior. Finally, from the previous two questions, a framework will be constructed using both textual examples and critical media theories to construct a deeper relationship between media and complex systems of crime and law. As mentioned previously, the link between crime and law and the representations of these subjects in the media cannot be overlooked. This article will show that crime novels, media, and television shows all play a vital role in transmitting ideas about crime and the legal system. This fact is a given. This article will also show that media representations of crime and the legal system, through these three modes, fulfill three key functions: deterrence, authority and catharsis. Key theories of critical media and cultural studies, such as culture theory and hegemony theory will show that media images are not as sporadic as they seem. They will show that media images have a purpose and an agenda outside of advertising. Other theories, such as media conglomeration, will show that an analysis of cultural representations cannot isolate one form of media as a representative sample and that a comprehensive analysis must include multiple media platforms, such as this article will try to do so. Through theseanalysis, textual examples, and theories, it will be demonstrated that media, whatever their goals and intentions, create cultural and social implications that must be considered. Not only do media images affect our perceptions of crime, forensics, and the law, but the resulting implications, when examined as a whole, create a cyclical framework for the strategic and successful containment of society. Annotated bibliographyAbramsky, Sasha. 2002. “Crime as American Pop Culture.” Chronicle of Higher Education 49, no. 12:B11. Academic Research Premier, EBSCOhost. Accessed November 15, 2014. Abramsky uses rising crime rates and high levels of incarceration, not only among racial minorities but also in society as a whole, as the backbone of his argument. She describes America as being obsessed with all crimes, from the most heinous to the most banal. High incarceration rates in the United States are therefore a natural extension of our obsession with crime, particularly our obsession with “continuous crime coverage.” Abramsky's analysis of the pervasiveness of crime in pop culture creates a societal fear of criminals and an overwhelming and disproportionate sense of criminality in surrounding neighborhoods. Thus, society's high incarceration rates are not seen as an inherent flaw in the system but rather as the natural result of an evil, criminal-riddled world, a fact that keeps society contained and obedient to the legal code. Collis, Christy and Jason Bainbridge. 2005. “Introduction – Popular Cultures and Law. » Continuum: Journal of Media and Cultural Studies 19, no. 2:159-164. Academic Research Premier, EBSCOhost. Accessed November 16, 2014. doi: 10.1080/10304310500084335. The analysis of popular culture and law presented by Collis and Bainbridge both provides the foundational structure for this study and presents the importance of this study. Collins and Bainbridge articulate two key concepts found in the article: 1) that “law is cultural” and 2) that the complexities of the intersection of law go beyond simple representation. Thus, Collis and Bainbridge develop a methodology for analyzing law and legal frameworks through the lens of popular culture. This article also mentions the term "legal consciousness", a term that evokes the memory of past legal proceedings, the conceptualization of current legal frameworks influenced by the media and the future implications of this influence. This source asserts that law and popular culture are closely related, but does not go so far as to explain how one affects the other, as this study will attempt to do.Dowler, Kenneth. 2003. “Media Consumption and Public Attitudes toward Crime and Justice: The Relationship Between Fear of Crime, Punitive Attitudes, and Perceived Police Effectiveness.” Journal of Criminal Justice and Popular Culture 10 (2): 109-126. Accessed November 14, 2014. http://www.albany.edu/scj/jcjpc/vol10is2/dowler.pdf. Dowler's examination of the relationship between media consumption and public attitudes to crime and justice illustrates two key concepts in this article. Kenneth describes how the prevalence of crime in the news media leads to increased fear of crime and criminals. Sensationalization of crime breeds fear and panic. This causes people to become more vigilant in their daily attitudes and adopt more abrasive attitudes to protect themselves from these crimes and the criminals who commit them. This article clearly shows the link between media consumption and the adoption of fearful attitudes. This article fails to study the.