Media and the Dehumanization of Currently and Formerly Incarcerated Individuals

• Chase O'Neal, Criminal Justice, University of Delaware

• Tanya Whittle, Sociology and Criminal Justice, University of Delaware

For many people, television news serves as the sole source of information about incarcerated people, as most individuals do not have direct interactions with the criminal justice system (Baranauskas, 2020). Media portrayals of the criminal justice system influence public perceptions of those within it, which can foster their dehumanization and mistreatment. This literature review compiles the ways in which American media outlets influence public opinion on crime and justice-involved people and discusses how this facilitates the dehumanization of justice-involved people. Out-group bias as well as emotions such as fear, anger, and disgust, can foster the dehumanization of those within portrayed groups (Demoulin, 2009; Giner-Sorolla & Russell 2019, pg 16). Additionally, crime reporting often focuses on violent crimes, uses reductive language, disproportionately represents people of color as perpetrators, and displays potentially misleading crime statistics (Edelman, 2017, pg. 2; Baranauskas, 2020; Dixon & Linz 2000, pg. 134; Li & Lartley, 2023). This established literature applies to portrayals of currently and formerly incarcerated individuals; these tendencies contribute to out-group bias and fear towards currently and formerly incarcerated individuals, which facilitates their dehumanization. This literature review adds to the current understanding of the relationship between media representation and dehumanization, with recommendations for news organizations and policymakers. 

Keywords: dehumanization, crime reporting, incarcerated individuals