The mainstream media's influence on students' perceptions of the study of criminology

Television crime dramas such as “CSI: Miami“, “NYPD Blue”, and “Law and Order” have glamourized the careers of criminal justice personnel by shaping their job descriptions into ones which are exciting, highly eventful, and immediately rewarding. In addition, television advertisements from American career technical schools in the United States often inaccurately portray their students in criminology programs. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the amount of media consumed and subjects' perceptions of the study of criminology. Data were collected through an anonymous pencil and paper survey. Participants were randomly selected from 100-level criminology classes at the University College of the Fraser Valley (n=131). Results suggest that television and radio consumption are significantly related to inaccurate perceptions of the study of criminology. No other forms of media are shown to be related. Recommendations for future research include a focus on marketing criminology programs and studies examining students of all ages. The implications for post-secondary criminology programs are discussed.