This episode explores how media representations significantly distort public perceptions of crime. It highlights that media often over-represents violent offences while under-reporting white-collar and corporate crimes, leading to an exaggerated sense of fear. The source further explains Stanley Cohen's concept of moral panics, detailing how sensationalised media reporting can amplify minor incidents into widespread societal anxieties, contributing to a cycle of deviance amplification. Finally, it discusses the complex and largely indirect relationship between media and the actual causation of crime, emphasising the media's primary role in shaping public opinion and fostering moral panics.