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Television, Public Space and Prison Population

A Commentary on Mauer and Simon

University of Oslo, Norway

The article discusses the influence of television in and on public space. It maintains that with television, the world entered a qualitative new stage in the development of the mass media. Television has transformed public space into an enormous market place for entertainment, and functions as the spearhead of the modern entertainment industry. It is well known that crime is a perfect focus of attention for such an industry. The article does not suggest that the development of television is the only factor behind prison growth. But television facilitates prison growth in the sense of opening up for it, dismantling defenses that might otherwise be mustered against escalation. It corrodes values like civil rights, the rule of law and humanity. First, penal policy has become much more of a commodity than was the case a few decades ago. Second, a change has taken place from political legitimation in terms of principles to legitimation in terms of popularity. Third, a change has occurred in public debate from an emphasis on communicative rationality based on truthfulness, relevance and sincerity in augmentation, to an emphasis on opportunism and sensationalism. The article calls for a development of an `alternative public space'.

Key Words: communicative rationality • entertainment industry • opportunism • prison growth • television

Punishment & Society, Vol. 3, No. 1, 35-42 (2001)
DOI: 10.1177/14624740122228230


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