The media, personal digital criminal legacies and the experience of offenders convicted of occupational fraud and corruption
| Date | 24 September 2019 |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1108/JCRPP-05-2019-0033 |
| Published date | 24 September 2019 |
| Pages | 3-16 |
| Author | David Shepherd,Emma Beatty,Mark Button,Dean Blackbourn |
| Subject Matter | Health & social care |
The media, personal digital criminal
legacies and the experience of offenders
convicted of occupational fraud
and corruption
David Shepherd, Emma Beatty, Mark Button and Dean Blackbourn
Abstract
Purpose –The purpose of thispaper is to explore the impact of media coverage on offendersconvicted
of occupational fraud and corruption in the UK. It examines the extentof media coverage and provides
insightsinto the experiences of offenders.
Design/methodology/approach –The study is basedupon interviews with 17 convicted offenders,and
on a contentanalysis of one national and two regional newspapersin the UK.
Findings –The findingssuggest that offenders convicted of occupationalcrime and corruption are more
likely to experiencemedia coverage than previously assumedand that personal digital criminal legacies
create long-term labels which lead to economic strains and social fractures that hinder productive
reintegrationinto society.
Research limitations/implications –The research is limited by a small sample frame in the UK.
Nevertheless, the findings suggest further research is required as they have important implications for
privacyand rehabilitation.
Practical implications –In particular, offenders and their families need support in dealing with their
personal digital criminal legacies,accessing their privacy rights and coping with the strains created by
online stigmatisation. From a policy perspective, the existing regulatory framework that supports
rehabilitationin the UK, especially the increasingly archaicRehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974,requires
close examinationand debate to ensure it is fit for the digitalera. The findings also suggest that policies,
practicesand responsibilities of the public sectorin employing offenders need to be examined.
Originality/value –It is a rare study of white-collar offendersafter their release from prison. The findings
are of relevanceto criminal justice policy makers, rehabilitationservices and academics.
Keywords Offenders, Resettlement, Corruption, Fraud, White-collar crime, Media impact
Paper type Research paper
Introduction
The output of mass media, the press and broadcast entertainment industry reflects the
public’s fascination with crime (Reiner, 2007). The news media becomes especially
interested when it encounters the leading edge of a violent crime wave. The statistical
novelty of the wave, rather than the crime itself, makes it newsworthy. Although the vast
majority of the population remains completely untouched by the emerging wave, the
ensuing blanket press coverage stimulates “moral panic”, collective indignation and clarion
calls for something to be done (Cohen, 2002,p.1;Young, 1971, p. 37). Cohen’s thesis,
which examined the press coverage of theconfrontations between mods and rockers in the
1960s, is reflected in recent press articles in the UK –“Revealed: moped gang crime hits
epidemic levels [...]” (Evening Standard, 2017) and “Trauma doctors reveal horror of knife
David Shepherd is based at
the Institute of Criminal
Justice Studies, Faculty of
Humanities and Social
Science, University of
Portsmouth, Portsmouth,
UK. Emma Beatty is based
at the Department of Film,
Media and Communication,
University of Portsmouth,
Portsmouth, UK.
Mark Button and
Dean Blackbourn are both
based at the Institute of
Criminal Justice Studies,
University of Portsmouth,
Portsmouth, UK.
Received 14 May 2019
Revised 2 August 2019
Accepted 19 August 2019
DOI 10.1108/JCRPP-05-2019-0033 VOL. 6 NO. 1 2020, pp. 3-16, ©Emerald Publishing Limited, ISSN 2056-3841 jJOURNAL OF CRIMINOLOGICAL RESEARCH, POLICY AND PRACTICE jPAGE 3
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