Newsworthiness of reform: prison news stories in an era of change

Invisibility cloaks, prisons, and a pandemic: Did COVID-19 render the prison invisibility cloak ineffective?

“…Prison films and television shows have been increasingly discussed in scholarly literature, and it has been argued that representations of prison in TV and film shape public perceptions and are a major source of public knowledge of correctional institutions due to their lack of experience with the correctional system (Bennett, 2008). Prison stories first became popular through Hollywood films in the 1930s, and at that time, movies were one of the only sources available to the general public, giving individuals a glimpse into life behind prison walls (Cecil, 2019). Prisons can now be found in all facets of the media: through film, television, documentaries, and the news media, with each representation sending their own message about the hidden institutions and their role in society (Cecil, 2019).…”

“…Prison stories first became popular through Hollywood films in the 1930s, and at that time, movies were one of the only sources available to the general public, giving individuals a glimpse into life behind prison walls (Cecil, 2019). Prisons can now be found in all facets of the media: through film, television, documentaries, and the news media, with each representation sending their own message about the hidden institutions and their role in society (Cecil, 2019). Due to the abundance of prison representation in popular culture, many scholars have examined the impact of these images on audiences.…”

“…Recent work by Cecil (2019) examined how after decades of 'get tough on crime policies' being enacted, many states were looking to reform prison policies that helped fuel mass incarceration in the United States, given that much research had demonstrated the devastating effects of mass incarceration on offenders, communities, and societies. Cecil (2019) examined news coverage of prisons in the New York Times between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2015 to determine whether correctional reform was being covered and how it was being addressed, and considered whether or not old concepts of prison newsworthiness were still most prominent. Cecil (2019) asserted public opinion research showed that the general population had become more accepting of prison reform ideas due to the shifting political climate in the United States.…”

“…Cecil (2019) examined news coverage of prisons in the New York Times between January 1, 2015 and December 31, 2015 to determine whether correctional reform was being covered and how it was being addressed, and considered whether or not old concepts of prison newsworthiness were still most prominent. Cecil (2019) asserted public opinion research showed that the general population had become more accepting of prison reform ideas due to the shifting political climate in the United States. The public was more supportive of rehabilitation she argued, and less supportive of mandatory minimum sentences and the war on drugs, and believed too many people were incarcerated for the wrong reasons.…”

“…As noted earlier, much of the news media coverage on prisons has focused on newsworthy, sensationalized, rare, discrete events. The news media focuses on single events that thrill readers such as riots, escapes, and cruel correctional officers, thus, the daily reality of prison is often left out which limits the public's understanding of the need for reform (Cecil, 2019). However, Cecil asserted a more recent literature review of prisons in the news has detected more frequent discussions of correctional reform.…”