From Crime Clickbait to Criminology Content: Building a Criminology Media Lab

• In Event: Connecting Arts, Media, and Criminology

Abstract

While there is a wealth of high quality, educational, and engaging videos on a wide variety of topics on video sharing platforms such as Tik Tok and YouTube, when it comes to crime and criminology, offerings tend towards misinformation, “clickbait,” or sensationalism. At the same time, students are increasingly creating video content themselves, either on their own or as part of an assignment, often with few to no guidelines or mentorship. In response to these two trends, we have created a “criminology media lab,” in which students research, write, and create their own short form video content. In this study, we assess the efficacy of the media lab both as a means of communicating knowledge through the resultant videos and as a pedagogical tool through student participation. We present preliminary findings about the efficacy of the media lab, reflect upon our experiences in creating the media lab, and offer suggestions about best practices.

Authors

• Peter A. Hanink, Cal Poly Pomona

• Philippe Duhart, Cal Poly Pomona