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1. Introducing and Defining: Critical Thinking, Media and Crime

We begin the process of critical thinking by defining what critical thinking is and why it’s important. We also begin to critically think about our key terms ‘crime’ and ‘media’, and how they are related.

2. Our Critical Thinking Toolbox: Tools, Narratives and Critiques

This part is divided into two modules, in which we introduce you to our ‘critical thinking toolkit’. The tools consist of short lectures on specific topics of critical thinking. In the first module we focus on developing skills related to the way we think (bias), how we interact with specific types of information (statistics or evidence), or how language can shape and mislead our understanding and perceptions of events. Then, we focus on narratives and critiques, overarching stories/ideologies and theories. They are explored through their application to crime and media by a team of global-leading criminology experts.

3. Crime and Media

We explore the question “How does the media influence our understanding of crime?” with topics of sex work, drug use and supply and investigative journalism. We also examine the question “How does the media help and hinder our perceptions about crime?” including in the context of animal and wildlife trafficking.

4. Crime in the 21st Century Digital World

We shift focus and enter the world of online crime. We investigate buying and selling sex in cyber space, human trafficking and the secret yet open commerce to critically explore the question “How does the digital age shape our understanding of crime?”

5. Law and Order

We work on the depictions of crime and policing on reality TV shows and TV series to explore the question “How does the media shape our perception and fears of the control of crime?” Moreover, we investigate the role of social media through a discussion on online sleuths and scam baiters. Here we critically explore the question “Is social justice helped and/or hindered by social media?” Finally, we explore the role of media in policing in speaking with a detective in the Australian Federal Police.

6. Moving Forward: Beyond Crime

We develop a set of tools and critiques that can help us in an everyday context. We focus on tools for making decisions, a new critique that encourages us to explore cultures and history, and tools for managing emotions as critical thinkers. We hope these skills and others learned will help learners develop and refine their critical thinking skills in work and more broadly in everyday life.

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