Date of Award
8-2002
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
Department
Sociology
First Advisor
Dr. Gerald E. Markle
Second Advisor
Dr. Timothy Diamond
Third Advisor
Dr. Robert Wait
Fourth Advisor
Dr. Donald Cooney
Abstract
This dissertation explores mainstream media presentation of two convicted murderers: Theodore J. Kaczynski, otherwise known as "The Unabomber," and Timothy J. McVeigh, found guilty of the 1995 destruction of the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. More specifically, I analyze The New York Times's and Time's presentation of these two actors in order to assess whether their acts were attributed to political and ideological motivation or psychological abnormality and mental illness. Quantitative and qualitative findings indicate that Kaczynski's crimes were more likely to be attributed to psychological abnormality and mental illness, while McVeigh's crimes were more likely to be attributed to political and ideological motivation. This dissertation thus stands at the intersection of mass media and the medicalization of deviance.
Access Setting
Dissertation-Open Access
Recommended Citation
Sheptoski, Matthew P., "Ideology or Insanity? Media Presentation of Ted Kaczynski and Tim McVeigh" (2002). Dissertations. 1303.
https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/dissertations/1303
Included in
Criminology Commons, Social Control, Law, Crime, and Deviance Commons, Social Psychology and Interaction Commons