Caught in the Web: Exposing "To Catch a Predator"

• In Event: Intimate Partner Violence and Sexual Victimization in the Media

Abstract

The dramatic undercover sting operations depicted on Dateline NBC’s hit series To Catch a Predator, have entertained, excited, and captivated audiences by bridging ideas of criminal justice and forms of entertainment. This research examines what messages are communicated in each episode and how they are communicated to audiences. Content analysis of the episodes and transcripts revealed how To Catch a Predator functions to reinforce historical methods of punishment, define boundaries of sexual morality, and provide avenues for social cohesion through collective condemnation of labeled sexual deviants within society. To Catch a Predator’s portrayal of justice, through specific methods of undercover surveillance and public punishment through shaming, articulated how partnerships between private and public institutions can function to communicate messages of the state, define moral threats within society, and identity the need for social control on the Internet and within local communities.

Author

• Mark Magidson, Carthage College