FEAR FACTOR

RCMP Report Proposes Curbing Dread By Limiting Flow Of Crime Info -
But Selective Silence Is Never A Solution

With the explosive growth in information technology and instantaneous
communication, one would think there'd be fewer irrational fears based
on superstition and misinformation. Alas, this hasn't happened. We
live in the age of anxiety.

It doesn't help when the press, following the pronouncements of Iran's
leaders, warn that August 22, 2006, anniversary of one of Islam's
holiest events, could turn out to be a day of reckoning, an
apocalyptic battle signalling the end of time. This may be my last
column.

The age of anxiety embraces both the fear of terrorist attack and the
unsettling belief that domestic crime is spiralling out of control.

This past month, an internal RCMP report acknowledged that the
Canadian public has developed an irrational fear of crime. Statistics
clearly show that many Canadians still believe that violent offences
are radically on the rise desite gradually decreasing rates over the
past decade.

This misperception is a problem. Crime is a problem not only when many
people are being victimized, but also when lower levels of it cause
sufficient fear to compel people to adopt a fortress mentality.

The RCMP attributes our phobia to crime stories dominating headlines
and newscasts. The report suggests that RCMP media relations officers
become more strategic and selective in responding to reporters'
requests for information about crime. It appears that the RCMP thinks
that ignorance is bliss, and the less the public knows about the
carnage on our streets and in our homes, the better off we will be.

The cops are right in thinking that anxiety and mass media
representations walk hand in hand, but selective silence is never a
good solution. Public agencies should never keep their data hidden
from the public eye.

Unfortunately, the public's misguided dread cannot be corrected by law
enforcement agencies. Crime data and crime stories may be disturbing,
but in and of themselves they do not give rise to irrational fears for
most people. It's all in the media packaging.

Media distortion is the price we pay for a profit-driven
communications network that caters to the lowest common
denominator.

American media may be the worst offender, but our coverage also plays
into collective insecurities and neurotic fears. Look at last month's
fiasco with incorrigible pedophile Peter Whitmore. Clearly, the system
failed in allowing this predator to slip through the cracks, leading
to the victimization of more youngsters.

I don't question the "newsworthiness" of the incident. But the large
front-page photographs, the endless editorials, the op-ed pieces and
the horrific recounting of every detail of Whitmore's criminal past
all combined to create the impression that our children can never be
safe even though there is a far greater chance that kids will be
injured or killed in car accidents than at the hands of sick devils
like Whitmore.

The raw and sensationalistic treatment of issues by the press
eventually overwhelms our perspective and ability to exercise sound
judgment.

This media distortion is often linked to what sociologists call moral
panics. These occur when a kernel of truth is magnified by the media,
which are often pawns of interest groups with a vested interest in the
crime problem. Sometimes these panics are orchestrated by police
associations, religious groups or educational institutions. Sometimes
they are just a natural by-product of competitive investigative reporting.

Whenever a sordid story breaks, journalists hunt high and low for
similar happenings. So when one report of a dog being brutally dragged
behind a car hits the papers, you will always notice similar stories
published throughout the week, even if they come from some obscure
hamlet in Bavaria.

Because of my aversion to any official regulation of expressive
activities, I cannot think of a solution to curb the worst excesses of
a news industry aspiring to compete with the entertainment biz. I am
often reduced to muttering, "Shame on you" when watching news on CNN,
CBC or CTV, but with the help of THC, I still watch.

I also do not believe that the RCMP is really that concerned that its
release of information is causing undue alarm. All public officials
know that fear makes us more compliant. A frightened public wants to
be rescued and looks to the agents of social control for protection.

For all the official providers of security looking for more money and
more power, the age of anxiety is good for business.