'Moral panic'

During a seminar in our second semester at bangor university, we where asked a series of questions in relation to Moral panic. The concept of moral panic is always criticised amongst the media studies communities. For example, many question the very definition of the term, which is the centre debate of the term.

Firstly, I will give my opinion of what i believe to be the correct definition for the term and then an arguable example the back the definition. The idea of moral panic characteristics revolve around 'concern, hostility, consensus and volatility' and it is these criteria's that i believe to be the foundation of the term. Moral panic can be a small isolated issue and erupt into a national, or even a global issue or concern. Such examples of moral panic on a global scale might be global warming and pollution. Global warming is considered a moral panic due to the pact that scientists are warning of impending floods and severe weather warnings bought on by the global warming theory, and they back the situation with the current climate events as proof, and arguments against the theories are that the planet is simply going through a natural warming cycle just how it always has done through out its existence. public response to this is brand new electric wind turbines, hybrid cars and solar panels being built and bought across the globe. some might suggest this is a marketing scheme to encourage the world to buy these life saving inventions for our future generations.

'A common skeptic argument is that climate has changed naturally in the past, long before SUVs and coal-fired power plants, so therefore humans cannot be causing global warming now... There are a number of different forces which can influence the Earth’s climate. When the sun gets brighter, the planet receives more energy and warms. When volcanoes erupt, they emit particles into the atmosphere which reflect sunlight, and the planet cools...It is obviously true that past climate change was caused by natural forcings' (http://www.skepticalscience.com/climate-change-little-ice-age-medieval-warm-period.htm)

Humans are always cautious of they're surrounding environment, that is a natural instinct, so whenever there is a warning of impending doom of any shape or form, we will react in moral panic, its just how we work. The media can take advantage from this and sell, sell, sell!! The public will naturally listen to their superiors and ignore the sceptics, irrelevant who has the most conclusive amount of proof. we are always on the lookout for the next most interesting piece of information that might have an effect on our lives or others.

Global warming - http://www.skepticalscience.com/climate-change-little-ice-age-medieval-warm-period.htm